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New Congressman Paul Broun votes to defend against agricultural terror Newly-elected Congressman Paul Broun, at his first committee meeting as a member of the Committee on Homeland Security, voted for final passage of a bill because of its importance to homeland security and its potential benefits for the state of Georgia. He also signed on as a cosponsor to the legislation. Last week, the Committee on Homeland Security approved and sent to the House floor legislation authorizing the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) currently in development by the Department of Homeland Security. The University of Georgia is competing with four other locations across the country to house the new facility. The NBAF will be an integrated foreign animal and zoonotic disease research facility intended to defend against potential acts of agro-terrorism, as well as naturally-occurring incidents relating to agriculture that have the potential to adversely impact animal health, public health, and the economy. The NBAF will filla critical void in the Nation's homeland security apparatus, as the U.S. currently lacks Biosafety Level (BSL) 3 and BSL 4 livestock laboratory space needed to research many high consequence foreign animal and zoonotic diseases.
"I am happy to support this legislation which gives the Department of Homeland Security the authority it needs to build and operate such an important facility," Broun said. "This facility will help counter the threat to America's agriculture posed by foreign animal and zoonotic disease. Should the University of Georgia be chosen as the NBAF site, it would bolster the local economy, bring jobs to my district, and solidify Georgia's role as a leader in the nation's bio-defense research."
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