Diary Prequel Package — page 94

doubling of the budget and because our advocates are still screaming for a 10% increase in FY2005 instead of the 2.5% increase of the PB. Sen. Dominici called the NIHers "pigs" who are never satisfied. Moral in quite low. Good stuff going on with Gary Edson and the "neglected diseases" project. He really likes the proposal that I put together for Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) and leprosy and malaria. We are going through the exercise now of several meetings back and forth in deciding what to have the POTUS propose to the G-8 meeting in June in Sea Island. They want to have the POTUS show global leadership and urge the other G-8 countries to put up money and get involved; however, since we are already doing so much, he wants us to put up very little new money. We will probably have to re-direct money - no good deed goes unpunished. Gary also wants me to explore the possibility of making the HIV Vaccine Enterprise a possible proposal. He had spoken to Patty Stonesifer and she mentioned that Rick Klausner and I were working on this together. John Kerry won Democratic nomination prior to convention and he and Bush are going at it already. The big issue is the terrorism that is going on in Iraq with foreign Muslim extremists with ties to Al Quaeda almost daily blowing up mostly Iraqis and some US soldiers. Massive terrorist attack in Madrid a few days ago with bombs in trains; hundreds killed. Muslim extremists claim responsibility and say that they did it because Spain has helped the USA in Iraq. Incident occurred right before the Spanish elections and resulted in overthrow of the Party that supported Bush. March 24, 2004 - Had interesting and full day. Went to the National Defense University at Fort McNair, Washington, D.C. to participate in the DHS exercise of a hypothetical aerosolized anthrax attack on Chicago. It was for the benefit of press leaders. Secretary Ridge, Susan Neely (Assist. Sec. for Public Affairs, DHS), Ed Thompson (CDC) were the main players. It was exciting and the press totally enjoyed it and got engaged in active Qs and As. Virtually all of the senior producers and correspondents of networks, CNN, Fox, etc were present as were top print media. Frank Sesno (CNN) moderated it and Aaron Brown (CNN) was present. Tom Ridge relied virtually totally on me to answer medical questions. Also, had meeting at PEPFAR Headquarters (2100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.) with Gary Edson, Randy Tobias, Robin Cleveland (OMB), Mark Dybul, Joe O'Neill and Ambassador Lange to discuss how we can work an AIDS issue into the upcoming G-8 meeting in June at Sea Island, GA. Gary and I proposed the possibility of highlighting the HIV Vaccine Enterprise that Rick Klausner and I have been working on for the past year. It would cost the USG virtually no new money since the "Enterprise" is a virtual organization that is proposing a strategic plan as described in our Science article. The POTUS can urge the G-8 countries to make a political commitment to make the Enterprise work. April 2, 2004 - White House (Situation Room) - Had meeting today as a culmination of a series of PCC meetings related to preparedness against pandemic influenza. We have been working with DHS, the VP's office and DHHS to develop a white paper of needs