This is an archive page. The links are no longer being updated.
REMARKS BY: Tommy G. ThompsonSecretary of Health and Human Services PLACE: American Medical Association's 2001 Interim Meeting of the House of Delegates DATE: December 5, 2001
Let me thank you for holding a conference to discuss how the medical community can most effectively respond to the threat of bioterrorism and for the AMA's leadership not only on this but also on so many, many things that are vital to the health and well-being of the people of our country.
I'd be remiss not to mention three people whose leadership has been especially significant - Dr. Richard Corlin, your president . Dr. John Knote, the Speaker of your House of Delegates . and my good friend Dr. Tim Flaherty of the great state of Wisconsin.
Immediately after the attacks of September 11th, I called Tim and we met in my office in Washington. His counsel was tremendously valuable, as it has been to me many times over the years.
This was one occasion when I wish Tim's advice had not been needed, for the simple reason that I wish the terrorist strikes on September 11th were only a horrible nightmare.
I've been to New York City and have stood at Ground Zero. I've been to the Pentagon and seen the gaping, blackened hole in one of America's greatest buildings. I've spoken with rescue workers and physicians, with E-M-S personnel and with the veterinarians caring for the dogs searching through the rubble.
"We have gained new heroes," President Bush said earlier this month in Atlanta, including "those whose quick response provided preventive treatment that has no doubt saved thousands of lives -- our health care workers."
Let me tell you, on behalf of the President and the entire federal government, how deeply we appreciate the work of the AMA to prepare America for additional bioterrorist attacks. Your work is essential and your partnership with us is irreplaceable.
So today, I want to talk with you a bit about what we're doing at the Department of Health and Human Services to advance the agenda I know is important to you and is, in truth, important to every American. Like all of you, the Administration is committed to providing the highest level of medical resources to the American people. And we're moving on a number of fronts to make sure we can do so.
The renowned physician Sir William Osler observed that "the best preparation for tomorrow is to do today's work superbly well." We at the Department of Health and Human Services have taken those words to heart on the bioterrorism front. Since I arrived in Washington a short eight months ago, we have assembled what I believe is the greatest collection of doctors and scientists in the world.
You've all heard of Dr. D.A. Henderson of Johns Hopkins, who spearheaded our successful efforts to eradicate smallpox. Earlier this month, I named him to head my Office of Public Health Preparedness. And earlier this summer, I appointed Dr. Scott Lillibridge, a distinguished physician from the CDC, to be head of HHS's bioterrorism preparedness efforts. From the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control to the National Institutes of Health and the HHS headquarters here in Washington, we're all working continuously to strengthen our nation's preparedness.
President Bush has been keenly focused on preventing bioterrorism and the coordination he has demanded and achieved is far reaching. The branches of the federal government have worked together admirably, and I believe their coordination is improving each day.
That improvement will be even more evident with the passage of the President's funding request to strengthen our anti-bioterrorism efforts in the aftermath of September 11. He has requested an additional $1.5 billion to strengthen our ability to prevent and respond to a bioterrorism attack, as part of a $40 billion homeland defense package.
We're building a stockpile of 300 million doses of smallpox vaccine. We're working to strengthen all facets of the public health system, including better training for emergency room physicians and nurses in how to deal with biological and chemical attacks.
The President has also requested $61 million to enhance the frequency and the quality of imported food inspections and to modernize the import data system to enable us to detect tainted food. This funding will also provide for 410 new FDA inspectors to help ensure that our food supply is better protected, particularly at the border.
But let me also note that when the terrorists attacked America on September 11th, we responded and responded well. We got a "Push Pack" of 50 tons of medicines, vaccines and medical equipment to New York City within seven hours of the collapse of the World Trade Centers. That's five hours ahead of schedule.
Our public health personnel, from triage physicians to mortuary experts, worked round the clock in New York City. We provided supplies and expertise at the Pentagon. And we did so quickly, efficiently and effectively.
Of course, anthrax has troubled everyone. But although five people have died, and that's five too many, we provided medication to thousands of people that kept them safe from any possible exposure to the disease. And, again, we did so in tandem with physicians across the country and with our other partners in local, state and federal governments smoothly and well.
So, we're moving forward across the board, working in tandem with the AMA to help guarantee that America is ready for every contingency.
Preparedness is key to our national effort to keep our country and its citizens secure against the attacks of our enemies. We're winning that battle. We're freezing the assets of Al-Qaeda. We've driven the Taliban into an ever-shrinking corner of Afghanistan. Osama bin Ladin is in hiding.
It's not over yet. We don't know what the future holds. But we can be mindful of some words spoken more than two centuries ago by one of our Founding Fathers, Sam Adams. As he put it, "The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil constitution, are worth defending at all hazards: And it is our duty to defend them against all attacks."
We are fulfilling Sam Adams' charge. We are defending our lives and our liberties. We are winning. And we will persevere.
Thank you for all you do to make life in our unique and wonderful country healthy and full of hope for everyone. God bless you, and God bless America.