Vienna, Austria – U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), chairman of the Judiciary Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee, released the following statement upon hearing that t
he 2001 Amerithrax investigation was officially ended today.
“I look forward to carefully reviewing the FBI’s materials released today as part of the formal closing of the Amerithrax investigation. I also look forward to reviewing the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report on the scientific methods used by the FBI in this investigation.
“In September 2009 I chaired a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Terrorism Subcommittee on strengthening security and oversight at biological research laboratories, including Fort Detrick, Maryland. I believe Congress and the Administration should act to develop a more centralized structure within the executive branch to monitor our laboratories, which will ensure the safety and security of employees at these labs. The U.S. Government should also better categorize the existing pathogens on the Select Agent List in terms of which ones are most likely to be used for a successful WMD attack. Finally, we must maintain the ability of American universities to continue to innovate and collaborate with our international partners in combating bioterrorism.”
