WASHINGTON, DC - Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Tim Murphy (R-PA) today sent a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), continuing their oversight efforts in examining the agency’s Laboratory Response Network (LRN). The LRN was established to boost our federal preparedness for bioterrorism.
“The more than 150 laboratories that make up the LRN are affiliated with federal agencies, military installations, international partners, and state/local public health departments," explained Walden and Murphy.
The committee last sent a letter to the CDC requesting information on their LRN capabilities in August, which sparked a series of back and forth follow up questions. To date, more information is needed.
“We appreciate the CDC’s efforts put forth in the Dec. 22, 2016 letter, and the detailed information provided. The Committee requests additional clarity on the assays the LRN has developed and deployed for all federal select agents, and requests the CDC’s cooperation in providing the information in the format specified by the Committee. We also have additional questions and seek additional information raised by the CDC’s previous responses," wrote Walden and Murphy.
