A single line often inverts meaning once you see what it
answers, so neighbouring messages are always shown.
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April 25, 2007 - Had a lunch/reception at the White House followed by a presentation by Laura Bush and President Bush in the Rose Garden to celebrate the first ever Malaria Awareness Day in the USA. Day was sunny, hot and muggy. I was given a reserved seat in the second row. Had major and important conversations during the reception with Randy Tobias, Mike Gerson and Josh Bolten. Apparently, at a meeting with the POTUS yesterday on PEPFAR funding, there was some opposition to maintaining the funding level. Likely the major mover of this restricted funding was Karl Rove. Condi Rice is out of the country, but will be supportive of expanded funding. Josh Bolten is supportive also. Josh asked me what I thought and I came on strong. Josh pointed out that this was supposed to be a $15 billion program with $3 billion per year for 5 years. Josh said that at the time that I developed the program, I said that we could not absorb the entire $3 billion in the first years and so we would do more in the later years. Now the program is at $5 billion per year, which means that just to sustain it without increases would cost $5 billion per year for 5 years or $25 billion. Many conservatives would oppose this as a bottomless pit. I also argued that we should get rid of the mandated 33% for abstinence of the 20% prevention money. I am attaching an e-mail that I sent to Josh after getting back to my office in which I clarify my position: Josh: It was good to see you at the Malaria event today and I appreciate your listening to Randy, Mike and me. I know that you are very much supportive of the full funding and even increase of the initiative and I know that this view is not shared by all. However, just to reiterate what I said to you and what you already know, this is one of the most important things that this administration has done and is doing. The people of Africa look upon us with great admiration and gratitude because of PEPFAR. We just cannot let it slip. True, we cannot commit to treating every infected person in the target countries, particularly since there are 4.3 million new infections worldwide each year, mostly in developing countries. However, we are making significant progress in prevention. I know that you are aware of how impressive the circumcision data are. In addition, although we are still years away from a vaccine, the most recent candidate has entered a phase 2 trial internationally (including Africa). Even if it does not totally prevent HIVinfection, there is a reasonable chance that it will slow the progression of disease if people do get infected, and this will result in lower levels of virus in their bodies, which in turn makes transmission to others less likely. I tell you this because I believe that we are on the cusp of a slowing down of transmission, which would dampen the possibility of a "bottomless pit" of infection in target countries for which we would feel obligated to treat. Finally, with regard to prevention, I am sorry that I was at first not clear about my position on abstinence being mandated as one third of the 20% prevention piece of the pie. We get enormous bad press (that often overshadows the enormous good that we are doing) because we mandate a specific number for abstinence. The faith-based organizations are going to push abstinence with the prevention money that we give them anyway. Therefore, abstinence will indeed be pursued through PEPFAR. By mandating it, those who do not think that this is the way to go will only drop out of the funding stream and declare the program dysfunctional when it really is a breath-taking success. On balance, it is my opinion that if we remove mandated categories of prevention, abstinence programs will still go on in Africa and PEPFAR will be praised by everyone, deservedly so. I am sorry if I came on somewhat strong at the White House with you, but I feel deeply that PEPFAR is such an historically great program (that would not exist if it were not for you) and I want it to function optimally. As always, if you need me to pitch in on this and articulate my views to anyone, please call upon me. I would jump at the chance. Thank you and best personal regards, Tony During the Rose garden ceremony, the POTUS actually got up and played the drums with a troop of Senegalese/American dancers who provided entertainment on the stage in the Rose Garden. As he left the stage and went back to the Oval Office, we caught each other's eyes and he said "Hi Denny", walked a few steps, turned around, came back and said "What am I talking about, Hi Tony"; he laughed and went on.
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April 27, 2007 - Went to the National Cathedral this AM to see Megan receive the honor as one of 12 NCS girls to be inducted into the "Cum Laude Society" . It was a beautiful ceremony at the Cathedral. Found out during the evening as I was on the way to a Nats Baseball game (call from Greg Folkers) with Bob Seder, Stewart Simonson, and Gary Nabel that Randy Tobias just abruptly resigned effective immediately. There is a woman who runs an "escort service and sexual fantasy service" who is being charged with running a prostitution ring. She is a bit bizarre and is using as a defense that if her girls did prostitution, then they did it on their own. For some unexplainable reason, she released the cell phone numbers of the clients of her girls and Randy's number was on the list. ABC News confronted Randy and he stated that he merely used the girls to get massages and had no sex, but he resigned anyway. My impression is that unlike Attorney General Alberto Gonzales who will not resign and keeps embarrassing the POTUS with his incompetence in handling the firing of the Federal Attorneys, Randy does not want to cause more bad press for the POTUS. Irony is that Randy runs the AID Programs which require recipients of Federal Funds to condemn prostitution. This is probably the reason that he resigned, i.e. the appearance of hypocracy. April 28-May 6, 2007 - Just a very busy time for me preparing for the Board of Scientific Counsellors Review of my Lab (LIR) to take place on June 4. Weather turned absolutely beautiful - typical DC Spring with sunny skies and balmy temperatures. Have been following over the past several weeks the St. Alban's baseball team. They are having their best year in decades. Danny Hultzen (pitcher/first base) is clearly the best pitcher in the league and one of the best hitters.
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May 7, 2007 - Went to the British Embassy for a Garden Party in honor of the visit to the USA of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Everyone who is anyone in DC was there. Spent time speaking with Sen. Joe Lieberman, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader of House Steny Hoyer, Columnist David Brooks, CNN's Judy Woodruff, Fox News Chief Editor Britt Hume, Former Mayor of Baltimore Schmoke, Harvey Fineberg of IOM, etc. Spoke with Prince Philip who showed an astounding lack of understanding of what is biomedical research. He asked me what I did and I explained. He said "Of medical stuff; that is statistics, i.e. numbers". I explained that we actually do research to answer questions. He insisted that it was all about statistics of diseases. I said that the statistics inform us of the extent of the problems, but then we do basic and clinical research to diagnosed, prevent and treat diseases. He then said, "Oh yes, like I said, it is all about numbers". I hope that he was just jet-lagged.
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May 10-14, 2007 - Had one of the most intensely busy weeks in recent memory with preparations (rehearsals) for my upcoming Board of Scientific Counselors review of LIR, NIH Budget Retreat, NIH Roadmap Retreat, Commencement Address at Penn State, Major talk in Miami to AAI, NIAID National Advisory Council Meeting, and Senate srsity College of Extremely busy: Appropriations Hearing Testimony - all in 5 working days. It was exhilarating in a strange sort of way. Almost like being on call as an intern and having 5 admissions in a row. After a while, it does not make any difference how many they send you. Weather has been spectacularly beautiful - typical Washington Spring weather. Sunny, dry, warm in day, cool at night.
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2007-05-19 00:00
Anthony S. Fauci
May 19, 2007 - Gave Commencement Address at Penn State University College of Science
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May 24, 2007 - Went to Sons of Italy Annual NELA (National Education Leadership Awards) dinner at the Washington Grand Hyatt Hotel on 10th and H Streets. I took Megan with me and she really enjoyed it. Sitting at our table was Nancy Pelosi and Rosa DeLauro. Megan got to meet and speak with them as well as Hilary Clinton, Geraldine Ferraro, Italian Ambassador Castellenata among others. Megan was amazed as Sen. Clinton was on her way out after having presented Geraldine Ferraro with an Award and we thought that we would not have the opportunity to introduce her to Megan. Hilary walked past me, caught my eye and gave a big smile, and threw her arms around me in greeting. Megan could not believe it. I introduced Megan and Clinton asked about her school and her plans for next year. May 24 - June 17, 2007 - Extremely busy: Sometime since last entry (May 24) I was informed by Jack Marberger (Science Advisor to the POTUS) that I would be receiving the National Medal of Science in a White House ceremony in July. I am humbled. Also, Scooter Libby convicted by seemingly vengeful and self-absorbed Judge Reggie Walton and sentenced to 30 months - amazingly excessive! Also, Walton published all of the letters written on Scooter's behalf including mine. Other letter writers were Paul Wolfowitz, Donald Rumsfeld, General Pace, Henry Kissinger, etc. Science magazine (Jon Cohen) wrote a small piece about my writing a letter. He originally thought that I would be in trouble since I did it on Government Stationary. Sorry John - I got clearance by OGC - Ethics Division since the CFR says that I can do this. Typical Jon, good person that he is, he is still trying to get me on something - the instincts of a reporter!
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June 3, 2007 - Gave Commencement address to Megan's NCS graduating class. It was a thrill giving it from the main pulpit at the National Cathedral. It was extremely well received; got many, many personal comments and e-mails. Please see text of speech in my files. Megan won many awards - Science Award, Community Service Award, Major Award voted by students as best all-around student, Major Award voted by faculty as best all-around student (first time at NCS that same student got both)
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June 4, 2007 - Underwent Board of Scientific Counselors 4 year review of my laboratory - Laboratory of Immunoregulation. I received the highest possible score (Outstanding). I had been preparing for this review for almost 1 year since I wanted to nail it given that I am Director of NIAID and my review would be carefully scrutinized.
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June 6, 2007 - Major, major world publicity regarding patient who had Extensively Drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) and traveled by plane to a number of countries in Europe despite somewhat bungled instructions by Georgia (he is from Atlanta) Health Officials and the CDC to not travel. The CDC looking real clumsy on this and the media continue to go after Julie Gerberding (Director, CDC) about this and other issues. I believe that she is being treated unfairly by the press and the Congress. In any event, I appeared with Julie and a customs official (Speaker crossed the border from Canada to New York after secretly flying from Prague to Montreal) at a Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing (Tom Harkin, Chair) on the subject. I was there to discuss the science of TB. Julie got slammed by the Committee and Speaker was on the next panel and said that the CDC was lying. What a mess. I was on major media appearances for the next week - Nightline, NBC News, 20/20 (about Heimlich and malaria treatment for HIV), NPR Morning Edition, WTOP Radio, CNN American Morning, etc)