“Biotechnology probably will improve many aspects of human existence; however, the pursuit and possible application of these technologies may also create social and economic disruptions and raise numerous ethical questions.”

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence

Just as innovations in AI will continue to rapidly revolutionize many aspects of life including national security, emerging biotechnology is on the same fast track and it’s imperative that we pay attention. Microbial proteins, for instance, have been genetically engineered in a way that may help prevent billions of dollars in annual crop damage and help decontaminate water. While these advancements have the potential for such good they also present new risks, particularly for national security. In 2024, the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party identified biotechnology as a focus area not only for U.S.-China competition but also for the national security vulnerabilities it presents to Americans’ biological data and the potential for adversaries to exploit these vulnerabilities to develop biological weapons.

With Honor worked with Rep. and For Country Caucus Member Seth Moulton (D-MA) then-Rep. and Caucus Member Mike Gallagher (R-WI) to establish the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) in 2021. The Commission is chaired by Senator and With Honor Action ally Todd Young (R-IN), and Congress directed that it conduct a thorough review of how advancements in emerging biotechnology and related technologies will shape current and future Defense Department activities.

In 2022, With Honor pushed successfully to support America’s biotechnology manufacturing industry as part of the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act. A provision that we promoted, directed the Secretary of Defense to provide funding for and establish or designate manufacturing hubs to conduct research and development activities as well as demonstration projects for future investments.

In December 2023, the Commission provided an interim report, which included preliminary legislative recommendations, and is expected to submit a final, unclassified report in December 2024. The final report will include recommendations for bipartisan legislation that With Honor and the For Country Caucus plan to help enact and fully implement — akin to the actions that we and the Caucus took with past commissions of critical national security importance, notably the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence and the Cyberspace Solarium Commission.

Recently, we endorsed four of NSCEB’s legislative proposals:

  • Agricultural Biotechnology Coordination Act, which would establish a U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA) Office of Biotechnology Policy.
  • Agriculture and National Security Act, which would establish a senior national security advisor position within USDA.
  • Biotechnology Oversight Coordination Act, which would establish an interagency committee that would evaluate the Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology efforts to produce proper regulatory requirements to biotechnology developers.
  • Synthetic Biology Advancement Act, which would establish a national synthetic biology center to award grants to colleges and universities over the next five years
TESTIMONIALS
“Mike Gallagher and I pushed to establish this commission after seeing the results that the CyberSolarium and AI Commissions have made in helping to modernize our national security, thanks to the support of With Honor Action. The Biotech Commission focuses on another vitally important area of rapid technological advancement that will impact our national security in transformative ways, few of which Congress has considered. We look forward to working with With Honor Action and the For Country Caucus to pass the recommendations that come from this commission into law.”

Representative Seth Moulton
“Thanks to Congressmen Moulton and Gallagher and the other bipartisan veterans With Honor [Action] works alongside for helping to initiate this commission that I’m honored to chair. This field is moving rapidly and it is critically important that the U.S. government is informed and proactively shaping smart bipartisan policy.”

Dr. Jason Kelly

Chairman, NSCEB