Burr: Money for bioterrorism defense will not be as readily available as in the past

Senator Richard Burr (R-North Carolina), one of the leading legislators on the issue of bioterror defense, said federal money to prepare for bioterrorism attacks will not be as readily available as it has been in the past, in part because of the poor spending choices made in some states. “Over time you have examples of misuse, things that aren’t necessarily in place for the specific reason of terrorism,” said Burr, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness. “Our mistake was we should have made it competitive … so localities made applications based on the merit of what they needed and how that integrated.”

Money set aside for homeland security has paid for ID card makers, Palm Pilots, color printers, digital cameras, chain saws, garden hoses, and other questionable items, according to reports. Much of the money that paid for those items was authorized under the $4.3 billion Bioterrorism Act of 2002 to bolster anti-terrorism measures. Burr said the act, which expires in September, had fewer spending restrictions than what he anticipates in renewed legislation that is being shepherded by his committee.

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