Hearing on Department of Defense Strategy for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction
January 1, 2020
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The Frame
This hearing informs the legislative framework and funding priorities for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021, which dictates how the Department of Defense allocates resources to detect, prevent, and respond to chemical, biological, and nuclear threats.
Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.
Department of Defense
The department's strategies and funding for CWMD programs are subject to congressional oversight and authorization.
U.S. Military Personnel
The committee's decisions impact the delivery of personal protective equipment and other capabilities used to counter WMD threats.
Last recorded activity January 1, 2020.
Next step not available in the current record.
Summary
Key Facts
- The hearing was held on February 11, 2020, to review FY2021 strategy for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD).
- The subcommittee reviewed the roles of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and U.S. Special Operations Command in CWMD efforts.
- The hearing addressed the use of chemical weapons by Russia, North Korea, and forces in Syria.
- The committee discussed the impact of advances in biotechnology, synthetic biology, and gene editing on the proliferation of biological agents.
- The committee identified hypersonic weapons development by adversaries as a challenge to current defense capabilities.
- The hearing noted the relevance of the 2020 coronavirus outbreak to national and economic security preparedness.
- The Department of Defense is currently working on eliminating remaining U.S. stockpiles of lethal chemical agents.
Why It Matters
This hearing informs the legislative framework and funding priorities for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021, which dictates how the Department of Defense allocates resources to detect, prevent, and respond to chemical, biological, and nuclear threats.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Early COVID-19 Awareness
The hearing explicitly links the 2020 coronavirus outbreak to the broader national security framework for countering biological threats.
Connected Entities
Sources
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- Controversy20Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
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