Senate Finance Committee Investigators Examine CDC Tracking Of Bioterrorism Grants

Main Category: Bio-terrorism / Terrorism
Article Date: 23 May 2006 - 1:00 PDT

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CDC officials are working with investigators for Senate Finance Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to determine whether "taxpayers have gotten their money's worth" from a $3.8 billion grant program for states to bolster public health preparedness in case of a bioterrorist attack, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The CDC program -- designed to prepare for biological, chemical and radiological attacks through measures including bioterrorism surveillance and the improvement of communication and alert systems -- was called into question after a whistleblower from CDC expressed concern about whether the grants were being used effectively. Since 2003, CDC grant funding has been under investigation by the HHS Office of Inspector General, which has issued a series of reports raising concerns about the suitability of some purchases and questioning why some money has not been spent. Some OIG reports have found that bioterrorism funding was inappropriately used to pay for general expenses affected by local budget cuts, the Journal-Constitution reports. CDC Director Julie Gerberding, who met with Grassley last week to discuss the issue, said recent responses to health threats such as Hurricane Katrina have shown that the grant money is being used properly. Last year, CDC officials began collecting information from states in order to gauge their preparedness for a bioterrorism attack. Richard Besser, director of CDC's Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Responses, said CDC still is trying to figure out "how to quantify preparedness," according to the Journal-Constitution. A set of standards as to how the funds should be spent is due to be announced this June (Young, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 5/20).

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