[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 13 (Monday, April 1, 2002)]
[Pages 514-516]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Announcing the Nominations of Dr. Elias Zerhouni To Be Director 
of the National Institutes of Health and Dr. Richard Carmona To Be 
Surgeon General

March 26, 2002

    Well, thank you, Tommy, very much, and welcome to the White House 
for this historic announcement. I appreciate your leadership, Tommy, in 
leading this administration's strong efforts to improve our Nation's 
health care, to make sure that more Americans get affordable health 
care, better patient protections, that the system puts our patients 
first, the system understands the importance of our docs, and we value 
that relationship, patient and doctor.
    I also want to assure our fellow Americans that we're going to make 
and are making an unprecedented commitment to medical research. And 
we're improving our public health system to make sure that we can 
respond quickly to any biological threat that our country may face. 
We're putting sound health care policies in place and, as importantly, 
putting a quality team in place. And that's what we're here to discuss 
today.
    It's my honor to nominate two fine men to head important Government 
institutions, to take important jobs. My nominee to lead the National 
Institute of Health is Elias Zerhouni, and my nominee as the next 
Surgeon General is Richard Carmona. These are distinguished physicians 
who have worked tirelessly to save lives and to improve lives. They 
bring exceptional knowledge and skill to these critical jobs. And they 
are absolutely dedicated to improving the health and well-being of all 
Americans.
    It is my honor to welcome their families here as well. Thank you all 
for coming, Nadia Zerhouni and her children, and Diane Carmona and her 
children. We welcome you all, and we're glad you're here. I want to 
thank the Acting NIH Director, Ruth Kirschstein, for being here as well. 
Where are you, Ruth? There you are. Thank you so much, Ruth, for a fine 
job. I appreciate the Acting Surgeon General. Ken, where are you? Ken, 
thank you for being here, and thank you for your find job as well.
    I want to thank the former NIH Director, Harold Varmus, for being 
here. Antonia Novello is here. Thank you, Antonia. I remember you. 
[Laughter] She was a former Surgeon General under ``41.'' [Laughter] And 
I'm so pleased that former House Minority Leader Bob Michel, former 
Senator Dennis DeConcini of Arizona, former Congressman John Porter, as 
well, from Illinois, is here. Thank you all for coming. We're honored 
you're here. And I also want to thank the Ambassador from Algeria for 
being here as well. Thank you all for coming.
    The National Institutes of Health is entering a new era of medical 
promise. NIH researchers recently cracked the genetic code, an amazing 
achievement with enormous potential benefits. New diagnostic tools are 
alerting patients when they have an elevated risk of certain diseases, 
so they can take an active role in preventing them. New treatment 
therapies will be tailor-made for an individual's genetic makeup. And 
many medical treatments will become less invasive. American medicine is 
on the verge of dramatic progress against AIDS, against diabetes, and 
against heart disease. We're closing in on cancer's cause and cancer's 
cure.
    The anthrax attacks against American citizens also demonstrated the 
need to strengthen our defenses against bioterrorism. Medical research 
will improve our ability to identify and respond and treat infectious 
diseases, whether they occur naturally or are used as terrorist weapons. 
The NIH has taken a leading role in this important front on the war 
against terror. The work of the National Institutes of Health have never 
been more promising and never been more important.
    Leading the NIH is a great responsibility, and I have picked the 
right man to do so. Dr. Zerhouni and his wife immigrated to America from 
Algeria with $300 in their pocket, but a dream of opportunity. Today, he 
is the executive vice dean of the Johns Hopkins University School of 
Medicine, the chairman of the department of radiology and radiological 
science at Johns Hopkins, and a professor of radiology and biomedical 
engineering. He is an expert in biomedical research and is committed to 
extending his benefits to all Americans and all humanity.

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    Dr. Zerhouni will also bring strong management skills to the NIH, 
and they are needed. This is a large and complex organization. The NIH 
budget has grown dramatically from around $2 billion in 1975 to more 
than $23 billion today. And my 2003 budget proposes an additional 
increase of nearly $4 billion. I urge Congress to approve this increase, 
and when they do, we will have completed my campaign commitment to 
double funding to this vital medical research over the next 5 years. Dr. 
Zerhouni is well prepared to manage this rapidly growing institution 
during times of great new opportunity and urgent biodefense needs. He 
has supervised research at Johns Hopkins, one of our Nation's leading 
research facilities. One former colleague calls him a quadruple threat: 
a doctor who excels at teaching, researching, patient care, and 
management.
    Dr. Zerhouni shares my view that human life is precious and should 
not be exploited or destroyed for the benefits of others. And he shares 
my view that the promise of ethically conducted medical research is 
limitless. As Director of the NIH, Dr. Zerhouni will be at the forefront 
of our efforts to promote biomedical research with a careful regard for 
the bounds of medical ethics.
    Dr. Zerhouni, thank you for accepting this incredibly exciting 
challenge.
    Translating medical research into practical life-improving changes 
is a critical function of the Surgeon General. Since 1871, the Surgeon 
General has been America's chief health educator, giving Americans the 
best, most up-to-date knowledge on how to improve their health and 
reduce the risk of disease.
    When I first learned that Dr. Richard Carmona once dangled out of a 
moving helicopter, I worried that maybe he wasn't the best guy to 
educate our Americans about reducing health risks. [Laughter] But that 
turned out to be just one of several times that Dr. Carmona risked his 
own life to save others. As an Army Green Beret in Vietnam, a decorated 
police officer in Pima County, Arizona, a SWAT team member, a nurse, and 
a physician, Dr. Carmona has redefined the term ``hands-on medicine.''
    Dr. Carmona currently serves as the clinical professor of surgery 
and clinical assistant professor of family and community medicine at the 
University of Arizona. He is also the chairman of the State of Arizona 
Southern Regional Emergency Medical System. He will bring to the Surgeon 
General's Office a proven commitment to service and a strong management 
background.
    The next Surgeon General will address three particularly urgent 
issues. First, the Surgeon General administers the 5,600-member Public 
Health Service Commission Corps, health care professionals who are on 
call for emergency duty. Members of this force were deployed in New York 
and Washington, DC, after the terrorist attacks of September the 11th 
and during the anthrax attacks that followed. Dr. Carmona has worked for 
many years in law enforcement and community preparedness, important 
preparation for any emergency that may come. Dr. Carmona is an 
experienced voice to help educate Americans about the best precautions 
and response to the threat of bioterrorism.
    Second, I have asked Dr. Carmona to lead an important initiative 
focusing on prevention and lifelong healthy living as a key component to 
medical care. The research is overwhelming that simple improvements in 
diet and exercise would result in dramatic improvements in America's 
health. Studies show that overweight Americans who are at risk of 
developing type II diabetes or coronary heart disease can delay and 
possibly prevent these diseases with just moderate exercise and a 
healthy diet. Walking 30 minutes a day will dramatically improve your 
life. Playing a game with your children in your backyard will help. 
Walking in a park can make a difference to your health. These relatively 
small actions can dramatically reduce costs and strain on our health 
care system.
    Fitness and a healthy lifestyle are a priority for me. I really like 
to run. It makes me feel better. The doc and I are going to encourage 
all our country to either run or walk or swim or bicycle for the good of 
their families, for the good of their own health, and for the good of 
the health of the Nation.
    And thirdly, Dr. Carmona is going to speak regularly to the Nation 
about alcohol and drug abuse and the tremendous toll they take on our 
society. Substance abuse by students

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undermines academic achievement and dims the great hope of the American 
Dream. Alcohol is a prime cause for many of our society's ills, not the 
least of which is domestic violence. And the long-term health effects of 
alcohol and drug abuse are devastating. If we want to live healthier and 
longer, we're going to have to tackle the problems of alcohol and drug 
abuse. And Dr. Carmona's going to make that one of his priorities.
    Doctor, I thank you so very much for your willingness to serve our 
country.
    I have found two fine Americans who are willing to serve our Nation, 
and I'm grateful for their service. It is now my honor to welcome to the 
podium Dr. Zerhouni, the nominee to run our National Institute of 
Health.

Note: The President spoke at 1:47 p.m. in the East Room at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Secretary of Health and Human 
Services Tommy G. Thompson; Nadia Zerhouni, wife of Elias Zerhouni, and 
their children, Will, Yasmin, and Adam; Diana Carmona, wife of Richard 
Carmona; and Idriss Jazairy, Algerian Ambassador to the United States.