Ridge: CDC won't be part of new homeland security department

WASHINGTON - Tom Ridge said Thursday that the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shouldn&#39;t be part of a massive reorganization of agencies into one homeland security department. <br> <br> Ridge, who spent the day explaining the restructuring plans to two congressional panels, said the agency that helped lead the anthrax investigation will work closely with the proposed new department, but the two will remain separate. <br> <br> Currently, CDC&#39;s mission -- only a small part of which involves bioterrorism -- falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Health and Human Services and its secretary, former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson. <br> <br> Georgia Democrat Max Cleland probed Ridge&#39;s thoughts on his legislation that would create a center within CDC focusing only on bioterrorism. Ridge didn&#39;t offer an endorsement but told a House committee later in the day that CDC&#39;s bioterrorism efforts would be eligible for a transfer of money from the new department he is expected to lead. <br> <br> Ridge, responding to a question from Republican Representative Bob Barr, said ``The laboratories and expertise they have will be made available to the people of this country, and they&#39;ll have access to dollars under the new Department of Homeland Security.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Cleland has expressed concern about whether the Bush administration is committed to using CDC as the lead agency in case of future bioterror scares. Despite a sizable increase in overall bioterrorism funding, the administration&#39;s 2003 budget proposed an overall funding cut for CDC&#39;s Atlanta headquarters, where many buildings are falling apart.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/6/202100