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

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, April 1, 2002

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 wellbeing 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.

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.