A single line often inverts meaning once you see what it
answers, so neighbouring messages are always shown.
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Jan. 29, 2003 - Testified to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing chaired by Arlen Specter. Also present were Sens. Harkin and Murray Hearing on Smallpox vaccination plan. Julie Gerberding and I testified. Concern on the part of local health officials and hospital people that the USG plan does not provide for compensation to people injured by receiving the vaccine. Hearing went quite well. Spent the rest of the day at the WH doing post SOTU briefings and handling press calls. I used Jay Lefkowitz's office. We sent off Peter back to Uganda. At the end of the day, I briefed Ari Fleischer for 1 hour on Project Bioshield.
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Jan. 30, 2003 - Testified at the Senate HELP (Health Education Labor and Pensions) Subcommittee Hearing with Julie Gerberding again on the subject of smallpox vaccine plan. Issue of compensation came up again. At the Hearing was Sens. Judd Gregg, Bill Frist, Alan Reed, Barbara Mikulski, Hiliary Clinton. Hearing went well. Spent rest of day at the Department are downtown doing Congressional Briefing to HELP committee on Project BioShield and to Secr. Thompson on Smallpox. Did the CNN Wolf Blitzer show with Secr. Thompson, Julie G., Mark McClellan (FDA) and Jerry Hauer on the subject of the HHS Biodefense Command Center.
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Jan. 31, 2003 - Spent most of day at DHHS and the WH. President gave absolutely wonderful speech at the WH to the PACHA (Presidential Advisory Committee of HIV/AIDS) and the African Ambassadors. He truly reflected his commitment and passion concerning our moral obligation to do something about HIV/AIDS internationally. He mentioned me specifically. Interesting that the activists who were completely trumped by the POTUS announcement, now can only complain that only $1 billion of the $10 million new money is going to the Global Fund.
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Feb. 1-2, 2003 - Much preparation for the President's visit to NIH and for the briefing of the President on Feb. 3 on BioShield. Many calls from WH I am asked by WH people to fact check things that he will say. Also, they want me to be responsible for arranging the details of his visit to the Vaccine Research Center. His advance people keep calling me and Kristen and others keep asking if everything is going OK.
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2003-02-03 00:00
Anthony S. Fauci
Feb. 3, 2003 - Another magical day! In the AM, I brief the POTUS on Project BioShield. Place = Roosevelt Room of the WW. Present are POTUS, VP Cheney, Tom Ridge, Tommy Thompson, Scooter Libby, Condi Rice, Karl Rove, Josh Bolten, Kristen Silverberg, Adm Abbott, Ari Fleischer, Dan Bartlett, Ken Bernard, Elias Zerhouni, Carol Kuntz, etc. I played major role in walking him through the Project. We rush back to NIH to greet him (Flying in on Marine One) at the VRC. We give him a tour and he is smash hit with the staff. We go over in motorcade to Natcher Building where he gives major address. He specifically mentions me as an old friend and someone who he thanks on the part of the country because I have been for many years THE general in war on AIDS. His speech drew applause every time he would mention me, Zerhouni, or AIDS in Africa Plan, but no applause when he spoke of the likely need to go to war with Iraq. He leaves and I spend rest of day and also Feb. 4 doing press calls to describe in detail Project BioShield.
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Feb. 4, 2003 - The world knows that the President's Plan came from me and I am briefing many people. The WH refers all questions about Project BioShield and The President's AIDS Plan to me Got a call from Richard Feachem, President of the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, congratulating me on the Plan, but expressing concern that since the USA only put $1 billion new money in the Fund over 5 years that now the other countries would be reluctant to contribute more to the fund than the USA. I told him emphatically, but in a nice way, that I disagreed. The original purpose of the Global Fund was not to replace bilateral agreements, but to complement them. Feachem is essentially saying that the other $9 billion in new money does not really count in a matching game since we did not put this in the Global Fund. Unbelievable. I have now told people. This is not about the Fund or about your particular choice of how you give money. It is about saying the lives of people in Africa and the Caribbean. Another looming problem is the Mexico City Agreement which states that Foreign NGO who counsels on abortions or who supports the performance (with funds) of abortions is not eligible for USG funding. This might make the implementation of the Plan through NGOs difficult. Also, I need to check with the US Trade Representative about the generics and breaking patents.
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Feb. 6, 2003 - Snow storm in DC. Went out to dinner with Stew Simonson and driving back home from Etrusco's restaurant on DuPont Circle I hit a patch of ice on Cathedral Ave., spun around twice and broad sided a telephone pole. No other cars or people involved. I was unhurt and drove my wrecked car home. Luckily it still ran since only the side doors (passenger side) were destroyed.
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Feb. 6 - 12, 2003 - Much briefing of White House and Congressional staff on Project BioShield and the President's AIDS plan. Much, much activity. The WH wants me in on all briefings.
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Feb. 13, 2003 - Delivered Plenary lecture at the 10th Conference on Retroviruses and OIs in Boston. Spoke on Role of viremia in host abnormalities. Very well received; it was hard core basic science, which was in sharp contrast to the publicity that I have been getting for the policy issues. Returned in early afternoon to go to WH to brief Congressional leaders on Project BioShield. Received secret briefing from CIA Torrey Froscher (Deputy Director, WINPAC, CIA). Present were Admr Stephen Abbott, Tom Ridge, Tommy Thompson, Jim Capretta, Kristen Silverberg, Chris Cox and Ginger Poers (Special Assistants to the president for Leg Affairs), Sens Gregg, Congressmen Burr, Turner Cox, Tauzin, Sen Collins; Sally Stansfield, Stewart Simonson, Carol Kuntz. The President walked in during the meeting and greeted the Congressmen and gave me a special warm greeting saying that the "A" team was there. He now has his special name for me. It is not Tony or Dr. Fauci it is "Fauci".