[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 28 (Monday, July 17, 2000)]
[Page 1639]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on the White House Commission on Complementary and 
Alternative Medicine Policy

 July 13, 2000

    Today I am pleased to announce the appointment of the Chair and the 
first 10 members of the White House Commission on Alternative Medicine. 
This Commission, created by an Executive order on March 8, 2000, is 
charged with developing a set of legislative and administrative 
recommendations to maximize the benefits of complementary and 
alternative medicine for the general public.
    Each year, tens of millions of Americans receive alternative 
therapies. The great potential and possible perils associated with the 
use of complementary and alternative medicine have been well documented. 
There is no doubt that these therapies should be held to the same 
standard of scientific rigor as more traditional health care 
interventions.
    If we are going to hold complementary and alternative therapies to 
an appropriate standard of accountability, we need to invest in research 
so health care professionals and consumers can make informed judgments 
about the appropriate use of these services. In that vein, we have 
worked with Senator Harkin and a bipartisan coalition of Members of 
Congress to establish the NIH Center for Complementary and Alternative 
Medicine to invest resources in scientific analysis to make such 
information available.
    But we need to do more. We need to be able to use information about 
alternative therapies to set the national agenda for the education and 
training of health care practitioners in this field and provide 
recommendations for advisable coverage policies for alternative 
therapies.
    I particularly want to applaud the leadership of Senator Tom Harkin, 
Senator Barbara Mikulski, Senator Arlen Specter, Senator Harry Reid, and 
Congressman Peter DeFazio in advocating for and finding funding for this 
Commission. There is no question in my mind that we would not be making 
this announcement without their tireless efforts. I also want to thank 
Secretary Shalala for her commitment to explore all avenues of 
scientific discovery to help ensure that Americans have access to the 
most accountable and responsive health care system possible.
    As we enter into the 21st century, we need to get better information 
to ensure American families have access to the best and most cost-
effective health care. I know I join the Congress, the policymakers, and 
the American public in saying how much we look forward to the results of 
the Commission's work.