Intercepting bioterrorism

America is at a very dangerous crossroads. Not only al Qaeda but also terrorist groups such as Jemaah Islamiah are working on acquiring or developing new terrorism capabilities, including bioweapons. Will we be prepared?

Evidence in an Egyptian terrorism trial two years ago indicated Osama bin Laden may already have access to dangerous biological agents. Meanwhile, the risk of proliferation to terrorists continues growing, with at least eight nations running bioweapons programs, including genetic engineering of pathogens and developmental programs for new production and delivery methods.

Winning the war on terrorism will require our nation not only to defeat attacks with explosives and military-style weapons, but also to be prepared to overcome potential assaults with weaponized anthrax, ricin, smallpox, plague, tularemia, botulism toxin and viral hemorrhagic fevers (such as the Ebola virus).

Just how vulnerable are we to such attacks today? The United States now can fully meet only a handful of the 57 "top echelon" bioterror threats. That's not an acceptable level of preparedness for the greatest power on Earth. We can launch a Tomahawk cruise missile and thread it down the smokestack of a munitions factory from 1,000 miles away -- once thought to be a million-to-one shot at best -- yet we aren't prepared to deal with the frightening prospect of an anthrax or sarin gas attack against our civilian population.

It's vital that we put our best minds to work round-the-clock on new ways to prepare for a biological or chemical attack here at home. But according to a study published in the May 2004 issue of the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, only six of 506 drugs currently in development are antibiotics -- even though drug-resistant bacteria are a growing threat.

This is only because the proper incentives and funding aren't there, not because the scientific challenge is too great. Indeed, the germs that cause anthrax and plague are not nearly as difficult to analyze as a virus such as HIV. Vaccines and treatments for biological weapons such as these can be developed.

Certainly, America has made some progress in preparing for possible germ warfare on our own soil, but we're not ready to combat a major bioterror assault at this time and our enemies know it. Worse, they're looking for ways to exploit our weaknesses.

We are now on the threshold of changing that. Project Bioshield, expected to receive final legislative approval tomorrow and then be sent to the president for his signature, will shortly unleash the greatest force in world history: American ingenuity.

By guaranteeing a market for successful vaccines and antidotes, Project BioShield will provide incentives for private-sector scientists, physicians, and researchers to develop lifesaving treatments. Congress has made available $5.6 billion over 10 years to purchase and stockpile a national supply of drugs and vaccines for use if a biological weapon is set loose by terrorists on an unsuspecting American public.

BioShield will speed research and development on new drugs and antidotes at the National Institutes of Health and in our national laboratories. And it will allow, if germ warfare breaks out, distribution of developmental lifesaving drugs on a fast-track approval basis to save innocent lives, so long as the benefits outweigh potential risks.

President Bush asked Congress to move immediately on his plans for Project BioShield in the 2003 State of the Union address. The House quickly responded. Last July, the Homeland Security Committee, which I chair, worked closely with other House committees to turn the president's vision into legislation. Unfortunately, after our bipartisan bill passed the House by a wide margin, it languished in the Senate nearly a year before being rescued by Majority Leader Bill Frist, Tennessee Republican.

But now that both chambers have worked out their differences, America finally is ready to prepare in earnest for a potential terrorist attack that won't yield to bullets or bombs. Now, we'll be using the very best weapon in our defensive arsenal -- our brainpower.

By approving Project BioShield, Congress is saying: "Let the race to find lifesaving countermeasures begin." America's leaders have heeded the advice of experts who have estimated that without BioShield it could take 10 years, and cost up to $800 million or more, to bring a single new vaccine from development through clinical trials to market.

The war won't wait that long, of course: Terrorists could strike us at any minute. And once a bioweapon is released, every second will count.

In many ways, the war on terrorism is like a chess game. We must anticipate our enemy's moves, and mount an impenetrable defense. In their pursuit of bioweapons, the terrorists have revealed some of their game plan. Project BioShield will ensure we stay one move ahead of them.

Someday soon, when it comes to bioterrorism, Americans will be able to say: Checkmate.

Rep. Christopher Cox, California Republican, is chairman of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security.