    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book I)]
    [February 3, 2003]
    [Pages 121-125]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Project BioShield in Bethesda, Maryland
    February 3, 2003

        Thanks for that warm welcome. It's a delight to be here at the
    National Institutes of Health, a center of excellence, a center of the
    brilliance of the American people. It is a place where so many good
    people do work every day to help save lives, and we're thankful for
    that. America is really proud of what you do here. NIH is a great credit
    to America.

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        Two days ago, America was yet reminded again of the sacrifices made
    in the name of scientific discovery. The  even brave
    Blair Salton men and women from the Columbia will be remembered for their achievements,
    their heroism, and their sense of wonder. Our prayers are with their
    families and their loved ones.
        Their 16-day mission held the promise of answering scientific
    problems that elude us here on Earth. Columbia carried in its payload*
    classroom experiments from some of our students in America. I hope these
    children, our future scientists, will continue to ask questions,
    continue to explore, continue to discover. And while we grieve the loss
    of these astronauts, the cause of which they died will continue.
    America's journey into space will go on.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        *White House correction.
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        The spirit of modern science embodied in our space program can be
    found here at NIH, where each day you make enormous progress against
    disease and suffering--these achievements that come about through the
    great ingenuity and determination and the serious moral purpose of
    America's scientific community.
        Now our scientists have been called to meet a different kind of
    challenge, man's efforts to use diseases as weapons of war and terror.
    This threat has placed research scientists at the center of our mission
    to defend the American people. It has put NIH squarely in the midst of
    our war to defend America and to defeat international terrorism. With
    focus and determination and necessary resources, this Government will
    act before dangers are upon us.
        I want to thank Tommy Thompson for his
    leadership at the Department of Health and Human Services. And I want to
    thank my friend Tom Ridge for taking on the
    Department of Homeland Security, the new agency designed to coordinate
    Federal assets over State and local assets in order to protect--better
    protect America.
        I'm honored that Members of the United States Congress have joined
    us. Senator Ted Kennedy from Massachusetts
    is with us--thank you, Senator Kennedy--and Chris Cox of California, Jim Turner
    of Texas, Chris Van Hollen
    who is the Director of the Institute--the National Institutes of
    Health--for his fine, fine leadership of this really important
    institution. He really is doing a fine job. You know, when I picked him,
    I thought he would do okay. [Laughter] He's far exceeded my
    expectations. He's really, really a good man who is honoring our country
    with his leadership.
        Tony Fauci, of course, I've known him
    for a long time. He is a distinguished Director of the National
    Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, one of the generals in
    the war against HIV/AIDS, for which we are really grateful, Tony, for
    your dedication. I want to thank--Mark McClellan is here with us, the Director of the Food and Drug
    Administration. I appreciate your leadership, Mark, on this incredibly
    important agency.
        Gary Nabel is with us. He is the Director of
    the Vaccine Research Center, who just took us on a really interesting
    tour. I asked him if this is the best in the world, and he said, ``You
    bet. Not only do we have the best equipment in the world, Mr. President,
    we've got the best people in the world working there.'' And I want to
    thank you for your leadership, Gary.
        And I want to thank all of the hard-working employees from the
    National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration, the
    Department of Health and Human Services and the new Department of
    Homeland Security who are here today. Thank you for your dedication to
    our country. Thank you for working long hours, that enable me to go out
    to the countryside and say to the American people there's a lot of good
    folks working long, hard hours to protect you, do the best we

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    can do to make sure America is safe and secure.
        Today I sent to the United States Congress my budget for fiscal year
    2004. The budget keeps the fundamental commitments of our Government,
    including our commitments to be good stewards with taxpayers' money. I
    propose that discretionary Federal spending increase by no more than 4
    percent this year. That's about as much of family income is expected to
    grow. It seems like a reasonable benchmark for the Federal budget.
    Within that limit we can fund essential priorities at home and abroad,
    and meet the responsibility to show spending discipline in Washington,
    DC.
        The first responsibility of our Government is to defend our Nation.
    The attacks of September the 11th, 2001, awakened America to the dangers
    of a new era. We face a different kind of threat than we were used to.
    On that morning, we saw the face of an enemy that will use any means to
    strike America, no matter how much destruction it causes, no matter how
    many innocent lives were lost. The kind of men who would seize planes
    filled with innocent people and crash them into buildings would not
    hesitate to use biological or chemical or nuclear weapons. They wouldn't
    hesitate at all. They don't value life, like we value life in America.
    They don't see every life as precious, like we see every life as
    precious in America.
        We have every reason to believe that terrorists and outlaw regimes
    would turn these weapons on the United States. We've been warned. On
    September the 11th, 2001, they clearly showed what they think about our
    country. And we will heed the lessons of 2001--September the 11th, 2001.
        We know that our enemies have been working to acquire weapons of
    mass destruction. That is a fact. If their ambitions were ever realized,
    they would set out to inflict catastrophic harm on the United States,
    with many times the casualties of September the 11th.
        So we're going to do everything in our power to protect the people
    and to prevent that day from ever happening. Across the world, we're
    making a determined effort with a lot of friends to round up terrorists
    wherever they hide, whatever cave they may be in, and bring them to
    justice. It doesn't matter how long it's going to take. One by one, we
    are going to dismantle their networks, so that America and our friends
    and allies are safe from harm.
        We're working with international authorities to track and control
    nuclear weapons. We seek to strengthen global agreements banning the
    production and shipment of missile technologies and weapons of mass
    destruction. We're working with others in the world to face the new
    threat.
        And in Iraq, where a brutal regime is arming to threaten the world--
    the peace of the world, we have made our intentions very clear. If the
    dictator does not disarm, if he doesn't get
    rid of his weapons of mass destruction, then the United States will lead
    a coalition to disarm him. And we will do so in the name of peace, and
    we will do so for the security of the American people.
        Also, as we confront dangers abroad, we're taking unprecedented
    action to protect the homeland. We've stepped up security at our borders
    and ports, posted Federal screeners in airports, begun vaccinating
    troops and first-responders against smallpox. And we have stockpiled
    enough vaccine to inoculate the entire population.
        We are proposing billions of dollars to help first-responders and
    hospitals increase their effectiveness. The Congress needs to finish the
    appropriations process as soon as possible, so we can get that money to
    the local governments.
        We're putting in place a national system of air sensors to detect
    biological attack. These are responsible and essential measures to
    protect our homeland and our people. And in the years to come, we must
    broaden our defenses against the use of diseases as a weapon.

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        In my State of the Union Address, I asked Congress to approve a
    comprehensive plan for research and production of needed drugs and
    vaccines, a plan that we call Project BioShield. My budget requests
    almost $6 billion to quickly make available safer and more effective
    vaccines and treatments against agents like smallpox, anthrax, botulinum
    toxin, Ebola, and plague.
        We already have the knowledge and ability to manufacture some of the
    vaccines and drugs we need. Yet, we have had little reason to do so up
    until now, because the natural occurrence of these diseases in our
    country is so rare. But the world changed on September the 11th, 2001,
    and we've got to respond to that change.
        In light of the new threats, we must now develop and stockpile these
    vaccines and these treatments. Right now, America must go beyond our
    borders to find companies willing to make vaccines to combat biological
    weapons. Two main drug therapies used to treat anthrax are produced
    overseas. We must rebuild America's capacity to produce vaccines by
    committing the Federal Government to the purchase of medicines that
    combat bioterror.
        Under Project BioShield, the Government will have the spending
    authority to purchase these vaccines in huge amounts, sufficient to meet
    any emergency that may come. Project BioShield will give our scientific
    leaders greater authority and flexibility in decisions that may affect
    our security. Our labs will be able to hire the experts, get more
    funding quickly, and build the best facilities to accelerate urgently
    needed discoveries.
        We'll have a better and safer smallpox vaccine, antibodies to treat
    botox, sophisticated devices that can confirm a case of anthrax
    infection almost instantly. We will ensure that promising medicines are
    available for use in an emergency.
        Like other great scientific efforts, Project BioShield will have
    many applications beyond its immediate goals. As scientists work to
    defeat the weapons of bioterror, they will gain new insights into the
    workings of many other diseases. This will also break new ground in the
    search for treatments and cures for other illnesses. This could bring
    great benefits for all of humanity, especially in developing countries
    where infectious diseases often go uncontrolled.
        America's war on terror has tested this Nation, has tested our
    resolve, our will, our determination, and I'm confident that we can call
    upon our resources and strengths to prevail. There is no doubt in my
    mind, the men and women of our scientific community are among this
    country's greatest strengths.
        HIV/AIDS once meant only terrible suffering and certain death. Now
    in America, there are life-extending treatments for AIDS, treatments we
    are going to share across the world. This great and strong and mighty
    Nation will not only work to keep the peace, we will work to make sure
    society is a more compassionate place. We weep for those who suffer on
    the continent of Africa, and we intend to do something about it.
        Our scientists have made significant gains in curing some forms of
    cancer. And we're going to continue to work hard to make sure that we
    make progress to curing all of cancer.
        Illnesses that haunted other generations, such as polio and measles,
    are now part of the past because of the vision and ingenuity of the men
    and women who work here in NIH. This new century brings an urgent need
    to apply this vision and ingenuity to the defense of this Nation, and
    you are up for the task.
        I look forward to working with the United States Congress to get
    Project BioShield out of its committees, onto the floor, onto my desk,
    so you all can work on behalf of the American people, so you can use
    your God-given talents, your fantastic brains, your clear vision to
    better protect America. This is the right course of action. This is what
    we owe the American people. And this is what we will deliver.

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        It is such an honor to be here--a place of healing and hope, a place
    of genius and vision. Again, I want to thank you all very much for your
    hard and tireless work, on behalf of a grateful nation.
        May God bless what you do, and may God continue to bless the United
    States of America.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:05 p.m. at the Natcher Building at the
    National Institutes of Health. In his remarks, he referred to President
    Saddam Hussein of Iraq. The Office of the Press Secretary also released
    a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.