Commission Receives $1.35 Million Grant to Help Take Preemptive Action Against Biological Threats to the United States
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Steve Aaron
SRA Communications
(717) 554-8614
steve@SRACommunications.com
COMMISSION RECEIVES $1.35 MILLION GRANT TO
HELP TAKE PREEMPTIVE ACTION AGAINST BIOLOGICAL THREATS TO THE UNITED STATES
WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 1, 2022) – The Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense today announced receiving a $1.35 million grant from Open Philanthropy. With this sixth grant to the Commission, Open Philanthropy’s critical support of the Commission’s work now totals $8.66 million.
“We are very grateful to Open Philanthropy for their continuing support of our work to help reduce catastrophic biological risk from pandemics, bioterrorism, and biological warfare” said former Senator Joe Lieberman, co-chair of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense. “With this generous infusion, we can continue our work with the Administration and Congress to implement the recommendations in our National Blueprint for Biodefense and our nine other reports.”
“It remains clear to me and my fellow Commissioners that our Nation and the world are in grave danger from active biological weapons programs in other countries, bioterrorism, accidental releases of organisms from laboratories, and naturally occurring diseases. This funding will support our continuing work on biodefense,” said Gov. Tom Ridge, first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and co-chair of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense. “The only way we are going to win the fight against biological threats is to take preemptive action. We thank Open Philanthropy for standing with us and helping us make that happen.”
Open Philanthropy identifies outstanding giving opportunities, makes grants, follows the results, and publishes its findings. Its mission is to give as effectively as it can and share the findings openly so that anyone can build on them.
About the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense
The Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense was established in 2014 to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the state of U.S. biodefense efforts, and to issue recommendations to foster change. The Commission’s 2015 report, A National Blueprint for Biodefense: Leadership and Major Reform Needed to Optimize Efforts, identified capability gaps and recommended changes to U.S. policy and law to strengthen national biodefense while optimizing resource investments. In its 2021 report, Biodefense in Crisis: Immediate Action Needed to Address National Vulnerabilities, the Commission described the extent to which the federal government has implemented the Commission’s recommendations. Other Commission publications have addressed critical needs for an Apollo Program for Biodefense; national biodetection; biodefense of critical infrastructure; diagnostics; State, Local, Tribal and Territorial response capabilities; agrodefense; and biodefense budgeting. In September 2018, the White House released the National Biodefense Strategy, a top recommendation from the Blueprint. The Commission continues to address biodefense challenges and urge reform. Former Senator Joe Lieberman and Governor Tom Ridge co-chair the Commission. Hudson Institute is the Commission’s fiscal sponsor.