[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 24 (Monday, June 17, 2002)]
[Pages 998-1000]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Signing the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism 
Preparedness and Response Act of 2002

June 12, 2002

    The President. Good afternoon, and thank you all for coming.
    On September the 11th, the world learned how evil men can use 
airplanes as weapons of terror. Shortly thereafter, we learned how

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evil people can use microscopic spores as weapons of terror. 
Bioterrorism is a real threat to our country. It's a threat to every 
nation that loves freedom. Terrorist groups seek biological weapons. We 
know some rogue states already have them.
    It's important that we confront these real threats to our country 
and prepare for future emergencies. Protecting our citizens against 
bioterrorism is an urgent duty of American--American governments. We 
must develop the learning, the technology, and the health care delivery 
systems that will allow us to respond to attacks with state-of-the-art 
medical care throughout our entire country.
    I want to thank the Members of the United States Congress who are 
here today, members of both parties who have worked together on this 
bill. I appreciate Governor Tom Ridge's hard work, Tommy Thompson and 
your staff's hard work on this bill. I want to thank Tony Principi and 
Christie Todd Whitman from the Veterans Department as well as the EPA 
for being here and working on this bill.
    I appreciate very much Senator Ted Kennedy, the Chairman of the 
Senate Health and Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, for working 
with Bill Frist. I want to thank the other cosponsors from the committee 
who are here. I appreciate Members of the House Billy Tauzin and John 
Dingell for combining their talents and experience and energy to get the 
bill done. I want to thank Mike Bilirakis, Judd Gregg, who isn't here, 
and all the other Members of the Congress, to show the American people 
that when people of both parties work together they can do good work on 
behalf of our country.
    I want to thank Elias Zerhouni, who is the Director of the National 
Institution of Health, who is here with us today--I appreciate you being 
here, Elias; Dr. Les Crawford, who is the Acting Commissioner of the 
Food and Drug Administration; as well as Dr. David Fleming, who is the 
Acting Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I 
want to thank you all for being here as well.
    Biological weapons are potentially the most dangerous weapons in the 
world. Last fall's anthrax attacks were an incredible tragedy to a lot 
of people in America, and it sent a warning that we needed and have 
heeded. We must be better prepared to prevent, identify, and respond. 
And this bill I'm signing today will help a lot in this essential 
effort.
    First, the bill will enhance our ability to prevent and detect 
bioterrorist attacks. We must and we will improve inspections of food 
entering our ports and give officials better tools to contain attacks on 
our food supply. We'll have new authority to track biological materials 
anywhere in the United States.
    Second, the bill will strengthen the communications networks that 
link our health care providers with public health authorities. 
Biological attacks can be carried out quietly. Our health care 
professionals are likely to be the first to recognize that there has 
been an attack. The speed with which they detect and respond to a threat 
to public health could be the difference between containment and 
catastrophe.
    Thirdly, the bill will strengthen the ability of our health care 
system to expedite treatments across our country. It will provide our 
State and local health authorities with resources and tools needed to do 
their job. And this bill will further develop our stockpiles of smallpox 
vaccines.
    Finally, the bill will help us develop better medicines for the 
future. It reauthorizes and improves the Prescription Drug User Fee Act. 
* This will make new lifesaving drugs and therapies available more 
quickly and will help ensure the safety and effectiveness of the 
treatments. We'll also be able to use the combined research expertise of 
the Government and the private sector to improve our vaccines, our 
medicines, and our diagnostic tests.
    * White House correction.
    Strengthening our protections against bioterror is part of a larger 
effort to deal with the new threats of the 21st century. If we're going 
to succeed, we need to reorganize our Government. And that's why I look 
forward to working with Congress to create the Department of Homeland 
Security, to make sure we align authority and responsibility, to make 
sure that we have an effective response to the enemy that still wants to 
hit America.

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    This bill today I sign is a part of the process of doing our duty to 
protect innocent Americans from an enemy that hates America. I'm proud 
to sign the bill, and I'm proud to welcome the bill's sponsors here to 
the Rose Garden.
    Thank you all very much.

[At this point, the President signed the bill.]

    The President. Thank you all very much.

Note: The President spoke at 9:50 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White 
House. H.R. 3448, approved June 12, was assigned Public Law No. 107-188.