    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
    [June 9, 1999]
    [Pages 907-909]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the Dedication Ceremony for the Dale
    and Betty Bumpers Vaccine Research Center in
    Bethesda, Maryland
    June 9, 1999

        Thank you very much, Senator Harkin, for your
    friendship, your leadership, and for your successful efforts to get this
    facility named for Dale and Betty Bumpers. You know, ever since the
    Republicans won a majority in the House and the Senate in 1994, it's
    been impossible to get anything named for a Democrat. [Laughter] We
    named more buildings than ever before in the history of the country, at
    a breathtaking rate, and I just wanted to come here to make sure this
    was actually going to happen today. [Laughter] And I really thank you,
    Tom Harkin, for your persistence.
        Thank you, Dr. Varmus, Dr.
    Satcher. Secretary Shalala, thank you for your remarks and what you said. I want to
    thank all the leaders of the NIH who are here, and others involved in
    all the various endeavors, especially Sandy Thurman, who leads our efforts on AIDS. I want to say a special
    word of appreciation to the families of Dale and Betty Bumpers who are
    here, including two of their three children.
        I want to express the regrets of the First Lady and the Vice President
    for not being able to be here today. And in particular, because of our
    long friendship and common interest, I know that Hillary wanted to come.
        Forty-four years ago Edward R. Murrow described the day Dr. Salk
    announced his discovery of a polio vaccine with these words: ``The Sun
    was warm, the Earth coming alive. There was hope and promise in the air.
    The occasion called for banners in the breeze and trumpets in the
    distance.''
        Indeed, that discovery did herald the dawn of a golden age of
    development of vaccines and prevention of disease. In the 50 years
    since, we have benefited from the discovery of vaccines against some 20
    infectious diseases. Tens of millions of lives have been saved; tens of
    millions of children have been spared the agony and crippling pain of
    polio, mumps, rubella, measles, most recently, meningitis.
        Twenty years ago we eradicated smallpox, the disease that for
    thousands of years struck down men, women, and children all around the
    world and destroyed entire civilizations. We have eliminated polio from
    our own hemisphere and, as you've already heard, we'll eliminate it from
    the Earth early in the new millennium.

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        The triumph of vaccines over infectious disease is one of the great
    achievements of a remarkable 20th century. And at century's end, the men
    and women who labor in labs to unlock the mysteries of human biology and
    disease, especially those here at the National Institutes of Health,
    have made this one of America's great citadels of hope, not only for our
    people but for people throughout the world.
        I think it is important to note, though, that we are here today
    because the triumph of immunization over disease is also the triumph not
    just of scientists but of countless citizens across America, public
    health specialists, advocates, volunteers, leaders in Government, who
    work together to support new research and to bring lifesaving vaccines
    to all people. It is the triumph of the couple we honor today, my
    friends of many, many years, Dale and Betty Bumpers.
        More than 25 years ago, Betty Bumpers was the first person to open
    my eyes to the fact that though many vaccines had been discovered,
    approved, and marketed, too few children in our State then and across
    America were being immunized. As the First Lady of our State, she
    visited every community and every school, talking to parents and
    teachers about the necessity of immunizing their children. In fact,
    Betty became so identified with the immunization cause that people used
    to joke that every time she walked into a school, the kids would start
    to cry. [Laughter] They knew that when she came in, somebody was going
    to have to get a shot.
        Her work inspired President Carter to
    launch a nationwide campaign to immunize all children by the time they
    entered school. Today, I am still amazed by her tirelessness in
    traveling across the country with Rosalynn Carter to ensure that every child is immunized by the age
    of 2. I'd also like to say something that many of you know: She is here
    today, just 2 days after back surgery, which is an ultimate testament to
    her grit and determination.
        She's made sort of a second career, Betty has, out of deflating
    egos, especially her husband's and mine. [Laughter] And I told her
    today, she just hit me one more time. I got a huge applause in the State
    of the Union Address a couple of years ago, railing against these HMO's
    and hospitals that kicked people out after drive-by surgery. And she's
    exhibit A for drive-by surgery. [Laughter] I mean, here she is; she
    looks great. I'm going to have to at least modify my position on that
    issue, I guess.
        When Betty was working at the grassroots, Dale was working in
    Government. Over four terms and 24 years, representing our home State in
    the United States Senate, he became the resident expert and the greatest
    champion for immunization in that body. Through dark times, when it
    looked as if Congress and the White House might fail to do their part to
    make vaccines more widely available, his passionate and persuasive
    arguments would stir consciences and, on occasion, change votes.
        After the measles epidemic of the late eighties and early nineties,
    Dale Bumpers rallied his colleagues. He took to the Senate floor to
    lament 27,000 cases of measles, cases he called, and I quote, ``totally
    shameful and avoidable.'' He challenged his colleagues to rise to their
    responsibility to protect our children. Our children have been lucky to
    have his heart and his voice at their service.
        For a long, long time, Hillary and I have been inspired by Dale and
    Betty's personal crusade. In 1993 I took office committed to renewing
    America and preparing our country for a new century. A key to the
    strategy we embraced was investing in our people, investing in
    technology, and dramatically increasing our efforts in research and
    development in areas that were pivotal opportunities for the future of
    Americans' quality of life. We made funding basic science research that
    could lead to new vaccines one of our top priorities. We launched a new
    initiative to improve immunization services, to make existing vaccines
    safer and more affordable, and to boost immunization rates across
    America.
        And I was profoundly proud when, two summers ago, Hillary and I were
    able to invite Dale and Betty to the White House, where we announced
    that finally America had reached its highest immunization rate ever and
    more than 90 percent of all 2-year-olds in our country have received
    their most critical doses of recommended vaccines, thanks in no small
    measure to the years and years and years of effort that they have
    spearheaded.
        Therefore, it is entirely fitting that today we dedicate this state-
    of-the-art facility to them, two great Americans, two wonderful human
    beings.
        Today we also lay a new cornerstone in our ongoing efforts against
    HIV and AIDS. With biotechnology accelerating the development of new
    vaccines and making existing ones even

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    safer, it is a hopeful moment for vaccine research in America, including
    the challenge of finding a vaccine against AIDS.
        Today, one out of every 100 people in the world is living with HIV
    and AIDS. With the recent news that AIDS has surpassed tuberculosis and
    malaria to become the leading infectious killer in the world, claiming
    2\1/2\ million lives in 1998 alone and growing, I might add, at truly
    breathtaking rates in Africa and India, we cannot afford to waste a
    second in our fight against it.
        Over the past 6 years, we have worked hard to conquer this disease.
    We have established the Office of National AIDS Policy to lead an effort
    full-time, expanded our investment in AIDS research to a record $1.8
    billion, accelerated the approval of new drugs. Two years ago, as
    Secretary Shalala said, I challenged America to come together to develop
    a vaccine for AIDS within 10 years. Our balanced budget will target $200
    million toward this goal. And until an AIDS vaccine is tested and
    approved, it will remain the primary mission of the Dale and Betty
    Bumpers Vaccine Research Center.
        I am confident that this is a place where miracles will happen,
    miracles born of hard work, ceaseless effort, visionary dreams. I look
    forward to the day when I can come back here, to a grand facility with,
    in Murrow's words, ``banners blowing in the breeze and trumpets in the
    distance,'' heralding another great vaccine achievement for mankind, the
    end of AIDS.
        When that day comes, it will be due in large part to the people who
    will be here at the Bumpers Center and to the two truly wonderful people
    for whom the center is named.
        Thank you, for your work and for letting me be a part of today's
    ceremony. And God bless you, Dale and Betty.
        Thank you very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 3:15 p.m. at the National Institute of
    Health. In his remarks, he referred to National Institutes of Health
    Director Harold E. Varmus; Surgeon General David M. Satcher; and
    Director of National AIDS Policy Sandra Thurman.