Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

Fiscal Year 2009 Federal Funding for Bioweapons Prevention and Defense

by Alan Pearson [contact information]

April 15, 2008

For full details of the report, download the PDF.

Since the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, the U.S. government has spent or allocated nearly $50 billion among 11 federal departments and agencies to address the threat of biological weapons. For Fiscal Year 2009 (FY2009), the Bush Administration proposes an additional $8.97 billion in bioweapons-related spending, approximately $2.5 billion (39%) more than the amount that Congress appropriated for FY2008. U.S. funding for bioweapons-related activities focuses primarily on research, development, and acquisition of medical countermeasures. Additionally, significant biodefense funding goes to purchasing protective equipment, enhancing medical surveillance and environmental detection of biological weapons agents, and improving state, local, and hospital preparedness. The increase in bioweapons related funding in FY2009 is primarily attributed to Project BioShield, a ten-year program to acquire medical countermeasures to biological, chemical, radiological and nuclear agents for civilian use, which will receive an additional $2.175 billion as a result of FY2004 legislation. However, a notable change in funding also appears in the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) within the Department of Health and Human Services, which more than doubles in FY2009. Finally, funding for activities aimed at prevention has more than doubled since FY2007. Further strengthening of prevention efforts, including a commitment to broad cooperative international action, is essential for improving our nation's security.

Table 1. Federal Funding for Bioweapons Prevention and Defense, by Agency, FY2001 - FY2009

All figures are in $ millions.

Department/Agency	FY01-FY06 Actual	FY07 Actual	FY08 Request	FY08 Estimate	FY09 Request	FY01-FY09 Total
Agriculture	1,029	186	340	187	277	1,678
Commerce	15	4	4	4	4	27
Defense	7,009	1,447	1,674	1,677	1,723	11,856
Energy	160	7	5	8	7	182
Health and Human Services	19,280	4,063	4,151	3,999	4,171	31,513
Homeland Security	2,1677	354	366	387	403	3,311
Project BioShield	3,354	0	0	0	2,175	5,529
State	238	35	36	49	48	370
Veterans Affairs	59	1	0	0	0	60
Environmental Protection Agency	597	103	136	123	150	973
National Science Foundation	124	28	25	25	15	192
US Postal Service	1,265	0	0	0	0	1,265
Total	35,297	6,228	6,737	6,459	8.973	56,956
Total, excl. BioShield	31,943	6,228	6,737	6,459	6,798	51,427

Michele Zilka provided research assistance for this report.