Last Watch: A program meant to keep Americans safe from airborne threats was under congressional scrutiny due to fears that the next generation of technology wouldn’t be able to produce useable results. Lawmakers in September had questioned whether the BioWatch program—a network that collects airborne particles and conducts daily tests for pathogens—should attempt to move forward after two generations of tepid results, according to the Los Angeles Times.
In the Air: Investigations by the House Energy and Commerce Committee have been thwarted in by the inability to view key documents, committee members told the Times last week. The committee has requested the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention turn over e-mails and documents from two CDC scientists known to have reservations about the accuracy of the program, including those of Toby L. Merlin, the head of the Division of Preparedness and Emergency Infections. Merlin had stated he considered the program to have produced false positives, according to the Times. BioWatch officials have repeatedly disputed claims of false positives.
Testing the Case: A spokesman for Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told the Times that the office was reviewing the request for documents. In the meantime, the Department of Homeland Security last week moved ahead with a $3.1 billion draft request for proposals for the next generation of BioWatch. The final RFP is expected before June. Comments on the draft must be submitted by February 11.