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Federal Funding for Biological Weapons Prevention and Defense, Fiscal Years 2001 to 2008

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by Alan Pearson [contact information]

INTRODUCTION

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Since the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, the U.S. government has spent or allocated over $40 billion among 11 federal departments and agencies to address the threat of biological weapons. For Fiscal Year 2008 (FY2008), the Bush Administration is proposing an additional $6.77 billion in bioweapons-related spending, approximately $550 million (9%) more than the amount that Congress appropriated for FY2007. U.S. funding for bioweapons-related activities focuses primarily on research, development, and acquisition of medical countermeasures and protective equipment, enhancing medical surveillance and environmental detection of biological weapons agents, and improving state, local, and hospital preparedness. The Department of Defense proposes to double the amount of money that it spends on efforts to prevent the development, acquisition and use of biological weapons by states and terrorists and other non-state actors in FY2008. However, activities aimed at prevention still account for less than 2% of all federal bioweapons-related funding since FY2001. Further strengthening of prevention efforts, including a commitment to broad cooperative international action, are essential for improving our nation's security.


Table 1. Federal Funding for Bioweapons Prevention and Defense, by Agency, FY2001 - FY2008

All figures are in $ millions.
Department/Agency FY01 FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05
Agriculture 7 42 204 111 ...
Commerce 3 4 5 7 ...
Defense 734 1,046 1,053 1,246 ...
Energy 4 5 5 5 ...
Health and Human Services 324 2,980 4,035 3,704 ...
Homeland Security/Energy legacy 40 85 119 1,038 ...
Project BioShield   885 ...
State 20 49 35 46 ...
Veterans Affairs   27 23 ...
Environmental Protection Agency 20 155 95 114 ...
National Science Foundation   17 26 27 ...
US Postal Service 175 587 0 0 ...
Total 1,327 4,970 5,604 7,206 ...
Total, excl. BioShield 1,327 4,970 5,604 6,321 ...

Table 1. Continued...
Department/Agency FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY01-FY08
Agriculture 298 247 187 341 1,437
Commerce 6 5 7 7 44
Defense 1,335 1,679 1,406 1,690 10,189
Energy 5 11 7 5 47
Health and Human Services 4,148 4,090 4,044 4,182 27,507
Homeland Security/Energy legacy 554 523 397 340 3,096
Project BioShield 2469 0 0 0 3,354
State 44 37 42 43 316
Veterans Affairs 9 0 1 0 60
Environmental Protection Agency 111 103 103 137 838
National Science Foundation 27 27 28 25 177
US Postal Service 503 0 0 0 1,265
Total 9,509 6,722 6,222 6,770 48,330
Total, excl. BioShield 7,040 6,722 6,222 6,770 44,976

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Alan Pearson 202-546-0795 ext. 107 apearson@armscontrolcenter.org

Dr. Alan Pearson is the Director of the Biological and Chemical Weapons Control Program at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation where his work focuses on biological weapons, chemical weapons, and WMD proliferation. Pearson's work has been published and cited in numerous publications, including Nonproliferation Review, Nature, and Science. He is editor of the forthcoming book Incapacitating Biochemical Weapons: Promise or Peril? (November 2007).