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GAO Investigation of Ticks/Vector-Borne Agents’ Biowarfare Experiments Passes House
Update July 29, 2020: The Bill and passed amendments such as this one (below) has now moved to the conference committee where the House and Senate will work to decide what language goes into the final product. The LDA provided input into the amendment language and has been working to get Senators to champion the inclusion of this GAO Investigation Amendment into the final bill.
Said LDA president Pat Smith: “We thank Congressmen Smith & Peterson for championing this investigation. Lyme and tick-borne diseases (TBD) patients and the public are entitled to know the truth about what past government research may reveal not only about the documented tick releases along the Atlantic bird flyway but also about research on the mysterious ‘Swiss agent’ which Dr. Willy Burgdorfer identified as a new Rickettsia strain in his work for the US Government– at Rocky Mountain Labs and in Switzerland. Perhaps it may uncover clues to help stop this epidemic of tick-borne diseases.”
Rep. Smith (NJ-04) NDAA FY 2021 Lyme Disease Amendment Floor Speech
Jul 21, 2020
July 23, 2020: The House voted this week to pass a number of amendments to the NDAA, National Defense Authorization Act, including a Chris Smith/Collin Peterson amendment, # 587 —The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a review of whether the Department of Defense experimented with ticks, other insects, airborne releases of tick-borne bacteria, viruses, pathogens, or any other tick-borne agents regarding use as a biological weapon between the years of 1950 and 1977. (https://rules.house.gov/bill/116/hr-6395).
There is information in various publications that such activities did occur, especially in the book “Bitten” by Kris Newby– a science writer at Stanford University—a book, which explores the evidence through actual government documents and interviews with some researchers who were involved that document such experiments.
Said LDA president Pat Smith: “Lyme and tick-borne diseases (TBD) patients and the public are entitled to know the truth about what past government research may reveal not only about the documented tick releases along the Atlantic bird flyway but also about research on the mysterious ‘Swiss agent’ which Dr. Willy Burgdorfer identified as a new Rickettsia strain in his work for the US Government– at Rocky Mountain Labs and in Switzerland. The book indicates there is speculation that this pathogen, if crossed with Borrelia, might well complicate treatment and thus be a candidate for biowarfare.” She added, “There is the possibility that any uncovered information could lead to facts which could shed light on the current epidemic of Lyme and other TBD and help develop solutions. We thank Congressmen Smith and Peterson for their continued push to make the truth known and the US House of Representatives for their vote to approve the amendment. ”
Some things author Newby revealed for the first time were: that ticks were developed and deployed as stealth biological weapons during the Cold War, and that Willy Burgdorfer, the scientist the Lyme bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, was named after, was at the center of this program. According to Newby, specific revelations she makes in book include:
- A 1962 pilot study where infected ticks were dropped on Cuba sugar workers.
- Releases of hundreds of thousands of radioactive, aggressive Lone Star ticks on the Atlantic coastal bird flyway.
- Omissions of other microbes transmitted with Lyme-carrying ticks during the original outbreak (“Swiss Agent´).
- Documentation of military studies where live disease-causing bacteria, some which can be spread by ticks, were sprayed from planes, boats and vehicles on the unsuspecting American public.
In 2019, a similar amendment was introduced and passed the House unanimously but there was no senate support for it.
The Lyme Disease Association (LDA) has been encouraging Lyme advocates across the country to contact both of their US Senators to champion and support this amendment. It is being heard in the Senate this week. LDA thanks those leaders who have made calls and sent emails to garner support.
More Information
NJ101.5.com: NJ Rep. Chris Smith — did our government release diseased ticks?
MoreMonmouthMusings.net: House passes Smith’s Amendment which could lead to a Lyme disease cure
Here is a very similar Smith amendment that passed the House unanimously in 2019 but did not make it through the Senate.
https://lymediseaseassociation.org/government/urgent-help-needed-for-biowarfare-investigation/
Kris Newby’s Bitten: LDA book review
All about Kris Newby, the book and access some of the documents used in book.