[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 23 (Wednesday, March 6, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1611-S1612]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. CARNAHAN:
  S. 1993. A bill to authorize a military construction project for the 
construction of a Weapons of Mass Destruction Responder Training 
Facility at Fort Leonard Wood Missouri; to the Committee on Armed 
Services.
  Mrs. CARNAHAN. Madam President, I rise today to introduce important 
legislation for homeland defense, the Weapons of Mass Destruction 
Responder Training Facility Act of 2002. America's war against 
international terrorism has increased the need to prepare against the 
threat of weapons of mass destruction, known as WMDs.
  Currently the Army's frontline of defense against WMD threats, Fort 
Leonard Wood, does not have the ability to conduct full-scale, joint 
training year round. This preparation gap must be closed. Our national 
security depends on the ability to effectively respond to a WMD attack. 
That is why I have introduced legislation to create a permanent 
training facility at Fort Leonard Wood.

[[Page S1612]]

  Fort Leonard Wood has no dedicated facility for training active duty 
and National Guard WMD responders. This prevents both joint training 
and the expansion of coordination among all WMD responders.
  Last October, we in this body learned first hand the importance of a 
coordinated response to WMD attacks. When letters, filled with anthrax, 
were mailed to members of Congress, 50 of our colleagues in the Senate 
and their staffs were evicted from the Hart office building for over 
three months. Experts from several agencies and departments, who never 
prepared together to respond to a WMD attack, worked to overcome 
setbacks and difficulties to make sure the Hart building was safe 
again. I thank them for all their hard work. But we now know that to 
prepare for future threats, those responsible for responding to WMD 
attacks must train together.
  Constructing of a permanent facility will enable joint training and 
cooperation of WMD Civil Support Teams; Department of Defense Emergency 
Responders; Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Instillation 
Support Teams; and Active and Reserve Component Chemical Units. The 
need to conduct joint operations and training year round is important 
and immediate. It is vital to national security. This is why the Army 
has placed the highest priority on building a permanent facility at 
Fort Leonard Wood.
  This legislation will compliment S. 1909, which was introduced by my 
friend and colleague from Missouri. Senator Bond's legislation calls 
for the establishment of a unified command for homeland defense, a post 
both the President and the Secretary of Defense support.
  S. 1909 will allow the Department of Defense to more effectively 
manage homeland defense resources by centrally locating the unified 
command within the United States, away from a major population center 
at an Armed Forces facility already in use for WMD training.
  Fort Leonard Wood meets all of these requirements and seems like an 
ideal candidate to fulfill this new and important national security 
role. But Fort Leonard Wood is not yet ready. While it has taken the 
lead in preparing WMD responders, there is yet another step to take. We 
must ensure that the country is prepared for future attacks by 
establishing a permanent training facility now.
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