A single line often inverts meaning once you see what it
answers, so neighbouring messages are always shown.
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Jan. 10, 2003 -- Meeting at the White House with Kristen Silverberg, Carol Kuntz, Noreen Hynes, Seth Carus, Richard Falkenrath, Ken Bernard, Stewart Simonson, WH speechwriters Amy Jensen and Gordon Johndroe. Purpose of meeting was to prepare for the possibility that the President will announce Project Bioshield at the State-of-theUnion Address in a couple of weeks. I had to present to the group the background and. rational for the special authorities for the NLAID director as well as the Permanent and indefinite appropriations authorities to purchase countermeasures. In addition, we explained the special use licensure of countermeasures by the FDA. For the latter part of the meeting, Mark McClellan (FDA Commissioner) joined us by phone. We will have follow-up meeting next week.
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Jan. 11, 2003 -- Had an all day meeting of virtually all the players in biodefense organized by Richard Danzig (former Secretary of the Navy) at Strategic Analysis, Inc. in Arlington, VA. We did case studies of possible catastrophic bioterror events and discussed the need to establish a BAT team or biological anti-terrorist team to be available to the President for advice and service in the event of a catastrophic attack. Present was among many others: Julie Gerberding, David Franz, Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, Josh Lederberg, Richard Danzig, Bill Patrick. Entire attendee list is in my files. Jan. 13 or 14, 2003 - Meeting in the West Wing (Ward Room) of the White House with Kristen Silverberg, Ken Bernard, Carol Kuntz, Amy Jensen, Sally Canfield (DHS), Jim Capretta, Tom Reilly, Richard Falkenrath, Stewart Simonson and others from WH communications to continue to fashion the precise language of the Project Bioshield (authorities, Procurement, FDA regs) in preparation for getting this into the President's State of the Union (SOTU) address . We wrangled a bit about the precise language. We will meet again in 2 days to finalize it.
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Jan. 17, 2003 - Another meeting at the White House in Andy Card's office (he was not there). Met with all of the above (Jan. 13/14) plus Patrick Aylward and minus Amy Jensen, Jim Capretta, and Richard Falkenrath to continue discussion. We went over comments regarding draft legislation and discussed the role-out for the SOTU address. Also, the WH has decided that soon after the address (around Feb. 3) the President will role out Project Bioshield more formally at an event likely at DHHS or at NIH. I will be there and then will be called upon to do a lot of briefings of the Press and Congress.
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Jan. 22, 2003 - Just heard from Ken Bernard at the WH that the President has decided to include Project Bioshield in the SOTU address. Also, he plans to visit the NIH on Feb. 3 to roll out the plan.
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2003-01-23 00:00
Anthony S. Fauci
Jan. 23, 2003 - Another important meeting in the White House with the same people as on Jan. 17 plus Amy Jensen, Ginger Loper. Putting the final touches on the 3 Bills (a) Permanent and indefinite authority, b) Special FDA authorization of products in emergency, and c) my special authorities. Also, discussed plans for President's visit to NIH. After the meeting, went to see Josh Bolten to get a feel for what the President would like to do during his visit. Josh invited Kristen Silverberg and I into his office to meet and talk with Mr. Sandy...... (Ambassador to China) and Bo Derek. We discussed AIDS in China and then Josh and I went out of the room and talked about what the Pres. Might want to do. Apparently he likes to observe technical things, but does not like to "sit down and be a prop". Went back to EEOB to a going away party for Seth Carus and Noreen Hynes. It appears that Elias Zerhouni is getting uneasy and insecure about my dealings in Biot, particularly with the WH connection. When I dutifully told him today that the Pres was coming to NIH, he said that he really needed to become more visible in the arena of Biodefense.
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Jan. 24, 2003 - More activity back and forth with Gary Edson, Jay Lefkowitz and me on the AIDS issue. It is still alive. They now want me to bring back Peter Mugyenyi from Uganda to meet with Mitch Daniels (and me). he dY
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Jan. 26, 2003 - Peter M. arrives from Uganda and Mark Dybul and I prep him for the White House visit. We have late lunch-early dinner at Mark;s house to brief Peter. SuperBowl Sunday.
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Jan 27, 2003 - We (Peter and I) meet with Mitch Daniels. Mitch seems genuinely moved by Peter's description of AIDS in Africa and is very deferential to Peter and me. Gary and Jay ask that I plan to spend the entire day at the White House on Tuesday, the day of the State of the Union Address. Something is up, not sure. They even suggest that Peter might join a group of VIPs in a satellite site (i.e. White House or EEOB) to watch the SOTU address.
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Jan. 28, 2003 - One of the most amazing and important days of my life! Spent the entire day (11 hours) at the White House. I arrive at the White House and Gary Edson and Jay Lefkowitz inform me that the President has decided to adopt our AIDS Implementation plan - the full version!!! $15 billion over 5 years starting with $2 billion in FY2004. $10 billion will be entirely new money including $1 billion to the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria. Peter Mugyenyi will sit next to Laura Bush in her box at the Capitol for the speech. I spend the whole day at the WH proofing the SOTU, fact checking, preparing and proofing Qs and As with Jay and Gary. The WH personnel are all congratulating me for pulling this off. Josh Bolten told me that I am his hero; Karl Rove and Andy Card are generously congratulatory towards me. Gary, Jay, Kristen, Josh, et al ask me to stay at the WH to have pizza with them and watch the SOTU address. I had to leave at 7:00 PM to prepare for my Senate Hearing on Smallpox the next day. The SOTU was fabulous. He rolled out BOTH Project BioShield and the AIDS initiative - 2 things conceived of and planned by me (with obvious help from many, particularly with BioShield). This has truly been an historic day!