Diary Prequel Package — page 68

Dec. 26, 2002 -- Dec. 30, 2002 -- Another meeting at the White House with OMB people. They are still trying to resist the Pemanent and Indefinite Appropriations, particularly for pandemic flu. Attending meeting were me, Stewart Simonson, Seth Carus, Carol Kuntz, Barry Glendennin, Tom Reilly, Bill Raub, Phil Russell. We went back and forth and it was clear that Secretary Thompson and VP Cheney want this, but OMB does not. Again, the VP and DHHS are relying on my reputation to drive this through. Jan. 3, 2003 - Another meeting at the White House with Carol Kuntz, Seth Carus, Noreen Hynes, and Stewart Simonson on the pending Project Bioshield Legislation. VP Cheney is still trying to get this into the State of the Union address. I am still counseling Carol regarding her CML. Jan. 4 -- Jan 9, 2003 -- Continual back and forth about the language for my new authorities and for the permanent and indefinite appropriations authority for procurement of countermeasures. Much opposition from OMB. Scenario is Stewart Simonson, Carol Kuntz, Scooter Libby and the VP against OMB. Trying to keep NIH Director Elias Zerhouni in the loop. He is somewhat (not a lot) concerned that I am in the driver's seat here, but in all, he has been quite good about it. VP's people keep asking me to provide materials for them to strengthen our arguments. This has become almost a full-time job. Also, I have had a URI with sinusitis for at least 6 weeks and this has made 19 hour days difficult. We (NIAID) had to move our Winter Program Retreat from Shepherdstown, W.Va. to Bethesda since Stewart and others felt that I like would be needed on the phone or to go to WH during the 2 days of the retreat (Jan. 9-10). 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. 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