WASHINGTON – Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Del.) today called on the Department of Defense to provide answers to the reportedly recent accidental shipment of samples of live anthrax to several domestic and overseas laboratories, some of which are military installations and others that are commercial facilities. This incident impacted laboratories located in Wisconsin and Delaware among other states.  The senators made these comments about the recent events:

Chairman Johnson said, “There is no doubt our nation needs to be doing legitimate research into the threat and mitigation of anthrax, but the reports of these accidental shipments of live anthrax are more than troubling.  This incident has endangered lives, and the investigation and decontamination efforts will likely stretch on for months.  Too many incidents have occurred with serious biological agents across federal labs.  I will work with Senator Tom Carper to ensure that the proper policies are in place and followed, improvements are made where needed, and any responsible parties are held accountable for this threat to the public.”

Ranking Member Carper said, “We know all too well that the potential impact of biological threats on our communities can be severe – or even deadly. That’s why it is critical that we understand how this troubling incident at the Department of Defense occurred and determine what steps will be taken to ensure a similar incident does not happen again. It’s equally important that the Department reexamine and reevaluate the protocols in place to ensure that deadly biological agents are properly handled, and that those protocols are vigilantly met. I look forward to hearing from the Department in response to our letter, and will continue to work with Chairman Johnson, our colleagues in Congress, and the Department to address this critical issue.”

An electronic version of the letter can be found here.

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