Biodefense Commission heads to IMS for a public meeting on the perpetual race against biological threats
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has hosted countless legendary events for well over 100 years. Along with Lucas Oil Stadium, Gainbridge Fieldhouse and the Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis hosts countless large scale, mass-gathering events. It is part of what makes this city so dynamic and special.
Sadly, in the world we live in now, it also makes us a potential target for those with ill intentions. That is why a special meeting taking place at the Brickyard on September 27th is quite significant to the safety and security of those across the Hoosier State and also across the country.
After leaving Congress in 2021, where I had served as Chair of the Homeland Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications, I was invited to join the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense. For nearly ten years, the Commission – co-chaired by our nation’s first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, Republican Tom Ridge and former Democrat U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman – has worked to advise Congress and the White House on specific steps the federal government can be taking to prepare for and respond to a biological incident. What does that mean exactly? A biological incident can be anything from a pandemic, as we all have lived through with COVID-19, to an accidental release of a deadly biological agent from a research lab, to a targeted attack with a biological weapon.
Typically, the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense holds its meetings in Washington, where we talk regularly with Congress and the current administration and experts from across federal agencies. But because this meeting will largely focus on special security management of biological threats to mass gatherings, we decided to take the meeting on the road to hear directly from those on the front lines of large-scale events. And there’s no bigger or better location than the Indianapolis Motor Speedway!
We look forward to speaking with their top medical director, Dr. Julia Vaizer, as well as John Ball, who heads up security and event services at Pacers Sports and Entertainment. They are among a distinguished panel of speakers, including special guest, Governor Eric Holcomb. This public meeting will delve into state and local efforts to strengthen public health and biodefense. Given that Indiana is one of the nation’s top agricultural states, we also will examine the threats to animals, food, and agriculture which can dramatically impact both farmers and consumers.
Indiana is fortunate to have organizations such as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Pacers Sports and Entertainment that prioritize health and safety at their large-scale events and who understand the need to plan for a range of potential threats, including from a biological incident. The simple fact is that special security management is critical in order to defend against biological threats to mass gatherings. We so appreciate that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is hosting us so that we can have a better understanding of the threat landscape and what additional partnerships with government are needed to assist them in their efforts to keep visitors and employees safe.
I always took great pride in being able to work across party lines to get things done on behalf of my constituents in Indiana and for all Americans. That is what makes the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense quite unique in today’s political environment. The Commission identifies gaps in the federal government’s ability to defend the nation against biological threats – threats that don’t care whether you’re a Republican or Democrat. Our Commission has been making specific recommendations to Congress and the White House to eliminate gaps in national biodefense for nine years. Those recommendations are being implemented. Meetings like this one in Indianapolis are critical as part of our ongoing information gathering process, and I’m proud to be co-chairing the public meeting with former Florida Congresswoman and U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services Donna Shalala.
This meeting is open to the public and so I invite you to learn more about our agenda and consider registering to attend. Just click the ‘events’ tab when you visit www.biodefensecommission.org.