APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1970
HEARINGSBEFORE ASUBCOMMITTEE OF THE
HEARINGSBEFORE ASUBCOMMITTEE OF THE
COMMITTEE ON APPROBATIONS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NINETY-FIRST CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
SUBCOMMITTEE ON DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
SUBCOMMITTEE ON DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
GEORGE H. MAHON, Texas, Chairman
ROBERT I. F. SIKES, Florida
JAMIE L. WHITTEN, Mississippi
GEORGE W. ANDREWS, Alabama
DANIEL J. FLOOD, Pennsylvania
JOHN M. BLACK, West Virginia
JOSEPH P. ADDABBO, New York
FRANK E. EVANS, Colorado
GLENARD P. LIPSCOMB, California
WILLIAM E. MINSHALL, Ohio
JOHN J. RHODES, Arizona
GLENN DAVIS, Wisconsin
R. L. MICHAELS, RALPH PRESTON, JOHN GARRITY, PETER MURPHY, ROBERT NICHOLAS, AND ROBERT FOSTER, STAFF ASSISTANTS
1 Temporarily assigned.
SYNTHETIC BIOLOGICAL AGENTS
There are two things about the biological agent field I would like to mention. One is the possibility of technological surprise. Molecular biology is a field that is advancing very rapidly, and eminent biologisits believe that within a period of 5 to 10 years it would be poasibfe to produce a synthetic biological agent, an agent that does not naturally exist and for which no natural immunity could have been acquired.
Mr. Sikes. Are we doing any work in that field?
Dr. MacArthur. We are not.
Mr. Sikes. Why not? Lack of money or lack of interest?
Dr. MacArthur. Certainly not lack of interest.
Mr. Sikes. Would you provide for our records information on what would be required, what the advantages of such a program would be, the time and cost involved?
Dr. MacArthur. We will be very happy to.(The information follows:)
The dramatic progress being made in the field of molecular biology led us to investigate the relevance of this field of science to biological warfare. A small group of experts considered this matter and provided the following observations:
1. All biological agents up to the present time are representatives of naturally occuring disease, and are thus known by scientists throughout the world. They are easily available to qualified scientists for research, either for offensive or defensive purposes.
2. Within the next 5 to 10 years, it would probably be possible to make a new infective microorganism which could differ in certain important aspects from any known disease-causing organisms. Most importune of these is that it might be refractory to the immunological and therapeutic processes upon which we depend to maintain our relative freedom from infections disease.
Plate 17: Believe it or not, this original document in the US Congressional Records indicates that the first solicitation of funds to develop a biological agent - what ultimately became the HIV virus (AIDS), yet another method of massive killing of large populations - occurred in a Hearing before a Congressional Sub-Committee in 1970.
Mr. Sikes. Are we doing any work in that field?
Dr. MacArthur. We are not.
Mr. Sikes. Why not? Lack of money or lack of interest?
Dr. MacArthur. Certainly not lack of interest.
Mr. Sikes. Would you provide for our records information on what would be required, what the advantages of such a program would be, the time and cost involved?
Dr. MacArthur. We will be very happy to.(The information follows:)
The dramatic progress being made in the field of molecular biology led us to investigate the relevance of this field of science to biological warfare. A small group of experts considered this matter and provided the following observations:
1. All biological agents up to the present time are representatives of naturally occuring disease, and are thus known by scientists throughout the world. They are easily available to qualified scientists for research, either for offensive or defensive purposes.
2. Within the next 5 to 10 years, it would probably be possible to make a new infective microorganism which could differ in certain important aspects from any known disease-causing organisms. Most importune of these is that it might be refractory to the immunological and therapeutic processes upon which we depend to maintain our relative freedom from infections disease.
Plate 17: Believe it or not, this original document in the US Congressional Records indicates that the first solicitation of funds to develop a biological agent - what ultimately became the HIV virus (AIDS), yet another method of massive killing of large populations - occurred in a Hearing before a Congressional Sub-Committee in 1970.
