Letter to the Hon. John Boozman, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Homeland Security, the Hon. Jon Tester, Ranking Member of the Senate Subcommittee on Homeland Security, the Hon. John Carter, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Homeland Security, and the Hon. Lucille Roybal-Allard, Ranking Member on the Senate Subcommittee on Homeland Security - Include Adequate Funding For Critical Department Of Homeland Security Science And Technology Laboratories In Fiscal Year 2018 Omnibus Bill

Letter

Dear Chairmen Boozman and Carter and Ranking Members Tester and Roybal-Allard,

As you negotiate a final Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Homeland Security appropriations bill, we urge you to fully fund three Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Laboratories: The National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC); the Chemical Security Analysis Center (CSAC) and the National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL). This funding is critical to supporting our first responders and federal agencies with the technology and training necessary to prevent and respond to terrorist attacks. The weapons of terrorists and their delivery mechanisms are constantly evolving, and protecting the American public from modern terror threats requires the unique resources and expertise found at the NUSTL, NBACC, and CSAC. That is why funding these laboratories is an investment in U.S. homeland security interests and the safety and effectiveness of our first responders.

Confirmed reports of increased missile, chemical, and biological weapons activities from hostile state actors heightens the importance of these facilities. NUSTL conducts tests, evaluations, and assessments of first responder technologies though lab and field-testing services, particularly concerning radiological emergencies. NBACC is a secure, Biosafety Level 4 facility that characterizes and analyzes biological threats to provide bioforensic analysis in support of federal law enforcement. CSAC is the nation's only federal management center for assessing large scale chemical events, and is a resource for federal, state, and local officials. This is not the time to be cutting back on our emergency response capacity.

The House FY 2018 DHS appropriations bill fully funds these labs at $76.4 million, but the Senate version does not include any funding. Additionally, the House requires DHS to refrain from any final decisions to close the labs until Congress acts. We request that the final appropriations bill include the House funding level and direction on the future of the labs to maintain the critical national security support and services offered.

Sincerely,