A federal investigation into the origins of Lyme disease will proceed after Congress approved an amendment directing the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review whether the U.S. military used ticks as biological weapons during the Cold War. The amendment, authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), is part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 and awaits presidential approval.
Section 1068 of the defense bill instructs the GAO to examine projects conducted by military agencies, the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Agriculture from 1945 to 1972. The focus will be on research involving Spirochaetales and Rickettsiales, bacteria associated with tick-borne diseases.
Rep. Smith, who co-chairs the Congressional Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Caucus, cited New Jersey’s high rates of infection as a motivating factor. He said, “The hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans suffering from Lyme disease deserve to know the truth about the origins of their illness.”
Smith previously introduced similar amendments in 2019 and 2021 that passed in the House but did not advance in the Senate. Interest in this issue increased following claims presented in Kris Newby’s book “Bitten,” which draws on interviews with Dr. Willy Burgdorfer—the scientist credited with discovering Lyme disease—who reportedly discussed experiments using pathogen-laden ticks for potential battlefield applications.
Smith stated that he hopes the GAO investigation will clarify any possible government involvement: “If the investigation concludes that our bioweapons program was not involved, we turn the page,” he said. “But we need answers.”
Chris Smith has served as a U.S. Representative for New Jersey’s 4th District since replacing Frank Thompson in 1981 and is currently serving in Congress. Born in Rahway, New Jersey, in 1953, Smith resides in Manchester Township and graduated from The College of New Jersey with a Bachelor of Science degree.
The original article can be found at https://lakewoodalerts.com/is-lyme-disease-a-u-s-made-biological-weapon-rep-chris-smith-triggers-federal-probe/
