In its 2015 bipartisan report, A National Blueprint for Biodefense: Leadership and Major Reform Needed to Optimize Efforts, the Commission described biological threats to the Nation and made 33 recommendations to optimize U.S. efforts to prevent, deter, prepare for, detect, respond to, attribute, recover from, and mitigate intentionally introduced, accidentally released, and naturally occurring biological events. Congress established the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following the September 11, 2001 attacks and the mailing of anthrax letters across the country that occurred shortly thereafter. Since its creation, successive Administrations and Congresses have included biodefense as part of the DHS mission to safeguard the Nation. At this meeting, the Commission intends to further explore biological incidents that affect homeland security, the role of DHS in addressing biological threats, and opportunities to enhance national biodefense.
Please join us on Tuesday, May 3, 2022 when we will convene an in-person meeting of the Commission to provide the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense with a better understanding of: (1) biological incidents that affect homeland and national security; (2) roles and responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in addressing biological threats; and (3) opportunities to enhance national biodefense.