CQ TODAY MIDDAY UPDATE
Dec. 17, 2008 – 1:38 p.m.

Northcom Chief Vows to Address Worries About New Homeland Unit

A senior military official pledged Wednesday to address congressional concerns about a new homeland emergency response task force that is designed to respond to a chemical, biological or nuclear attack.

Air Force Gen. Victor E Renuart Jr., commander of U.S. Northern Command (Northcom), also told reporters that the new force, which will eventually total 20,000 personnel, will not require new funding right now and is not meant to authorize the federal government to enforce martial law.

Last week, Rep. John P. Murtha , D-Pa., the chairman of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, complained that Congress had not been properly briefed on the new initiative, complicating its job as steward of the defense budget.

Renuart said that he planned to meet with Murtha in the coming weeks to discuss the program. “There have been some misunderstandings on the part of some in Congress on what this force is designed to do,â€