With a looming sunset date for the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD) at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced a bill this week to keep the agency open for another two years.
At stake, according to Peters, is the federal government’s ability to address complex and dangerous threats from weapons of mass destruction, be they chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear. The Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Extension Act of 2023 could extend the office’s authority to conduct national security operations for two years, putting off the retirement it was to face early next year. That bill (H.R.3224) has already passed the House.
“Weapons of mass destruction, including chemical and radiological weapons, could have catastrophic effects if used in an attack on the United States,” Peters, chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said. “These threats are continuing to grow, and we must ensure that the Department of Homeland Security can continue its crucial work to address these serious risks uninterrupted.”
The senators pointed to a recent incident in Houston as a sign of the potential for nuclear and radioactive materials to be stolen and used in domestic attacks, if not watched. In November, a Houston police officer found potentially dangerous radioactive material simply abandoned in a scrapyard, thanks to a device provided by the CWMD. Bigger news items over the years have included threats from anthrax and ricin, used in attacks on Americans.
“While new technology has improved our lives in countless ways, it has also opened the door for bad actors to harm our country,” Cornyn said. “The Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office was created to prevent chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear materials from falling into the wrong hands, and this legislation would make sure it can continue protecting Americans from weapons of mass destruction.”
On top of the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Extension Act, the senators also recently introduced the Offices of Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction and Health Security Act (S.1728), which would permanently enshrine the CWMD Office and the Office of Health Security at DHS, among other things.