A single line often inverts meaning once you see what it
answers, so neighbouring messages are always shown.
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Sept. 9, 2005 - Briefed Pres. Bush today in the Roosevelt Room on update in Pandemic Influenza Preparedness. This was in follow-up of our previous meeting on July 29. I was with Sec. Leavitt, Julie Gerberding, Bruce Gellin. On the White House side was the POTUS, VP Cheney, Scooter Libby, Josh Bolten, Scott McClellan, Andy Card, Attorney General Alfred Gonzales, Harriet Meiers, Robert Zoellig from DoS, and others. The POTUS was very engaging. Half- jokingly he said that "Tony will have to fix this problem for us with his research..." Another good and productive briefing of the POTUS. Mention was made about not repeating the errors of Hurricane Katrina response.
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Sept. 14, 2005 - Briefed Carol Kuntz today on the DHHS $7 to 9 billion supplemental budget request for FY2006 for Pandemic Influenza Preparedness. She wanted my opionion so that she could transmit this to the Vice President who wants to know what I think of the feasibility of the request
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Sept. 15, 2005 - Accompanied Sec. Leavitt and Bruce Gellin and Julie Gerberding to brief 3 cabinet secretaries today on Pandemic Flu. Briefed Sec. of VA Jim Nicholson, EPA Administrator Steve Johnson and Treasury Secretary Snow. Got an e-mail from Fran Townsend of HSC who mentioned that the President has mentioned that he always feels more comfortable when he knows that I am working on important health problems (see visit to the POTUS on Sept. 9).
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Sept. 19, 2005 - Again, accompanied Sec. Leavitt, bruce Gellin, Julie Gerberding and Bill Raub to brief Sec of Agriculture Johanns and Admininstrator of USAID Andrew Natsios on plans for Pandemic Influenza Preparedness.
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2005-09-23 00:00
Anthony S. Fauci
Sept. 23, 2005 - Had very interesting and enjoyable evening at a reception at the home of Mark and Nicole Wallace in honor of Kristin Silverberg in celebration of her confirmation (a couple of months ago) as Assistant Secretary for International organizations in DoS as well as her birthday. Present among many others were a number of White House personnel such as Michael Gerson, Josh Bolten, Michael Allen, Randy Tobias (DoS), etc. Interesting part of the evening were the in depth and intense discussions that I had with Josh Bolten and Mike Gerson about the difficulties in funding the POTUS's planned programs over the next few years given the fact that Hurricane Katrina will cost over $100 Billion and Hurricane Rita is still percolating in the Gulf of Mexico. Important dilemmas - Do you let the deficit explode? Do you cut domestic programs (difficult to do since the amount would be trivial compared to what is needed)? Do you defund the war in Iraq (impossible)? Do you abandon all or (as I suggested) part of the Tax Cut program? Very enjoyable and interesting evening. The Wallace's live on 4434 - Hawthorne Street, which is 2 blocks from my house. Christine Grady accompanied me.
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Sept. 28, 2005 - Sec. Leavitt, Julie Gerberding, Bruce Gellin, General Gordon (CIA) and I briefed a groups of Senators on H5N1 influenza pandemic potential in a "top secret" briefing at the Capitol. Among the Senators were: Ted Kennedy, Barrack Obama, Tom Harkin, Durbin, Reid, Patrick Leahy, Max Baucus as well as others. Typical Washington phenomenon ensued - two days later they proposed an amendment to a Defense Bill for $4 billion dollars for H5N1 preparedness emphasizing buying Tamiflu instead of the balanced Vaccine/Therapy approach that we had suggested. In addition, they knew (we told them) that we were preparing a big ($7-9 Billion) supplemental request for the HHS FY2006 budget for vaccines/drugs. It was clear that they wanted to trump the Administration since the bill was proposed by Democrats as well as Frist, who is clearly positioning himself to run for President in 2008. I love it!!
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Sept. 30, 2005 - Appeared again (many times now) on the Lou Dobbs CNN Show to discuss bird flu. He obviously respects me very much. Of note, lately the DHHS people in OC (Bill Hall, Suzy DeFrancis Christina Pearson, and mostly Patti Conrad- I am not sure who is the culprit) have been hijacking the media requests for me when we ask for permission (routine) to accept. Usually these are "rubber stamp"; however they are trying to insert the secretary on shows that specifically ask for me. I feel that this is fine since the Secretary should trump everyone. However, they are lying about it since they are telling us that when they offer up the Secretary, the shows are glad to have the Secretary instead of me. However, I heard directly from Wolf Blitzer of CNN that he had specifically asked for me. The DHHS people called him up and said that I could not do it since I had a prior commitment and they suggest that the Secretary take my place. We had made it perfectly clear to the DHHS people that I was totally free and able to do it. They are really acting poorly. Why do not they just say that they want to insert the Secretary and not lie about it and give the networks the choice of me versus the Secretary. I guess I have no recourse. At the end of the day it will backfire on them.
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Oct. 6, 2005 - A fever pitch is on about the Pandemic Influenza preparedness related to the heightened awareness of the potential, the fact that new cases were seen over the past few weeks in Indonesia, the POTUS giving a speech before the UN General Assembly about the need for international preparedness, the meeting of Sec. Leavitt and I and others with CEO's off pharmaceutical companies, and a series of briefings that Leavitt, Bruce Gellin and I have been giving to members of Congress and Senators. Many media appearances by me despite the above steering to Leavitt. Leavitt himself has been terrific. We are quite a team with the media and the briefings. Today, Leavitt and I briefed the POTUS in the Oval Office at 1:00 PM. Hot sticky day for October. The POTUS had the usual extremely attentive and warm receptions for me. He joked that he had mentioned my name at a press conference that he held yesterday and he does that whenever he wants to appear smart. He just mentions my name and people assume that he knows what he is talking about. We had a few laughs about other things also. At the briefing were the usual cast of characters including: the VP, Andy Card, Josh Bolten Scooter Libby, Dan Bartlett, Scott McClellan, Fran Townsend, Tevi Troy, Rajeev Venkayya, Candi Wolff, etc. We briefed him in preparation for the meeting that is will have tomorrow in the Roosevelt room with the CEOs of Pharma to encourage them to help us prepare for pandemic flu.
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Oct. 7, 2005 - More media appearances, NBC, CNN, German TV, BBC, etc. Leavitt and I helped POTUS in the Roosevelt room talk with the CEOs regarding how we can engage them in building a vaccine production capacity. The POTUS heard from them what I had told him the previous day, i.e. that we much revitalize the production capacity not just for H5N1, but we must create a sustainable market and capacity for seasonal flu that will then provide a major head start in the event of a pandemic flu. CEOs present were: David Mott of MedImmune, David Williams of Sanofi-Pasteur, JP Garnier of GSK, Dick Clarke of Merck and Howard Pien of Chiron. Again, the POTUS was very interactive with me when he came in and left. He concentrated heavily on the CEOs during the meeting. Afterwards, Scott McClellan had Leavitt and I give a press conference in front of the White House. Multiple cameras, etc. I will leave for SE Asia tomorrow with Leavitt to visit Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Viet Nam, and Indonesia.