News Release
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, July 14, 2004 |
Contact: HHS Press Office
(202) 690-6343 |
Statement by Tommy G. Thompson
Secretary of Health and Human Services
On the House Passage of Project BioShield Authorization Legislation
I applaud the U.S. House of Representatives for passing Project BioShield. This 10-year, $6 billion investment will allow us to develop modern, effective drugs and vaccines to protect America against biological, chemical, nuclear and radiological weapon attacks.
As a nation, we have tremendously improved our bioterrorism preparedness and response capabilities since September 11, 2001. At HHS, we've increased spending on bioterrorism research, beefed up food inspections at our nation's ports, and helped every state in the country develop a comprehensive public health and hospital plan to care for their citizens in the case of an emergency.
But we cannot become complacent. That's why passing and implementing Project BioShield will help us continue to strengthen our nation's bio-defense capabilities. Project Bio Shield will allow us to acquire up to 75 million doses of the new generation anthrax vaccine early next year. It will also speed NIH research and development on next-generation countermeasures for other dangerous pathogens, such as Ebola and plague. And it will give the Food and Drug Administration the ability to make promising new treatments available quickly in emergency situations.
This is an important day in the defense of our nation, and again I want to thank and congratulate the U.S. Congress for recognizing the importance of Project BioShield and enabling us to take the necessary next steps to protect Americans.
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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.
Last Revised: July 14, 2004
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