-
https://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/files/original/3ffa6a4489e8c80c0ef086c1e63ca13b.pdf
92fc1a181ea659cce4d15ff69c9a608c
PDF Text
Text
'<
,
,.,~.'
, 'J,
CLINTON LIBRARY PHOTOCOPY
.... I','
.. ', ','
, .
,
'.
�"{
,
'I
"
THE WHITE HOUSE
O~fice
of the Press Secretary
I
For Immediate Release
February 17, 1994
\
A SPEECH BY THE FIRST LADY
AT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
'
\
MRS. CLINTON:
It ,is a real thrill for me to be
I
here, and I want to start by acknowledging how much I
appreciate the session I had this morning.
As I told Dr.
Varmus on my way in, I was only sorry my daughter could not
have been with m~ as she would have understood if I were
(inaudible).
\
She has been studying genetics in her biology class,
and I said I would (inaudible) with her for a few hours a
couple of weeks ago.
(Inaudible) she was describing the
retrovirus functiohs that Dr. Varmus was explaining to me.
'•...t,,,
And my contribution, since I didn't understand
anything about it, was to help her color in (Laughter) the'
various (inaudible) while she tried to desperately, in that
wonderful tone th~t
13-year-olds take to their parents, to
explain to me very:patiently all those things that she had been
learning about (inaudible) and stuff that I have never heard of
before. So this w~s a special treat for me, and I will take it
back to her.
I
I am also honored to be on the same platform as the
three people who [are here with me.
Three that are here,
Secretary Shalala,
Secretary Lee,
and Dr.
Varmus are
appointments that ::teally mark the first time that a president
has chosen three p~ople from research universities to the top
positions at HHS.
I
As many of you know, Secretary Shalala served as the
president of the Urtiversity of Wisconsin and also on at least
one board affiliat~d with NIH.
Dr. Lee lnd Dr. Varmus comeJfrom the University of
California, at sanlFrancisco. And Dr. Lee has had a ,long and
distinguished history in working to improve health care in all
of its aspects hert in our country.
'
But I
would like to offer special thanks to Dr.
MORE
�2
Varmus to agree to leave, at least warmer if not sunnier,
California to com4 back to NIH to take the helm.
He is not
only the first No~el Laureate to head these institutes, he is
also a strong and \ able leader whose ideas about health care
have been invaluabtl,: to this administrati?n and will continue
to be as we move to 1mplement many of the 1deas that you and he
have brought to thlis administration.
So we ate very grateful that he is providing the
•
I
'
leadersh1p that we knew we would count on when he agreed to
take this Position,.
This in9titution is truly the epicenter of our
nation's biomedical research efforts. For more than a century
NIH has been a pil~ar of scientific- achievement paving the way
to fundamental discoveries that have revolutionized our
understanding of biology and the practice of medicine, and
improved the liveslof people allover our globe. Eighty-three
scientists affiliated with NIH have gone on to win Nobel
prizes. And at lea~t 35,000 scientists are supported by NIH at
any given time.
1
'
Among the list of scientific and
(inaudible)
breakthroughs, although far too long to be exhaustive, you
know, as well as I) and I want the country to know, are those
affecting
heart
disease
and
cancer
and
strokes
and
schizophrenia. Those are just a few of the diseases that are
less frightening, Iless threatening, less (inaudible) today
because of basic a~dclinical research done right here at NIH
and at research universities across the country.
I
I would Jike to take a moment to note that just this
last week the sci~ntif ic community lost one of its great
leaders, Howard Temin. Professor Temin was at the University
of Wisconsin, a close friend of Secretary Shalala's, Phil Lee's
and Harold Varmus. I His dogged pursuit of the enzyme immerse
transcriptate (phonetic) won him a Nobel prize in medicine and
exemplified the imp,ortant work you and your colleagues do in
finding cures and treatments for diseases.
1
' '
No one ~ould have called for Dr. Temin in AIDS
research.
,Yet :his work
led directly to the quick
identification of the AIDS virus. No one would have called him
a bioengineer.
Yet his work led to the birth of the
biotechnology in tHis field.
What his colleagues and all of
you here in this auditorium, who counted yourselves among them,
did call him, was a bench scientist -- words of very high
MORE
�3
praise -- whose wqrk opened doors and saved lives. His death
robs us of one of our most talented scientists, one of our
country's best t~achers, and one of our most passionate
advocates of basid research.
Today iJ our nation attempts to fix a health care
system that badly needs repair, the work of scientists like Dr.
Temin and yourself Iis more important than ever. That's because
medical research and health care reform go hand in hand. I am
not a scientist.
But even as a lay person, before I ever
became involved with health care reform, I knew that scientific
research is about! exploration, discovery, and pushing for
values.
I
I
I knew that science is a tool we use to evolve and
survive as a speci1es, and I also know that it's not just the
contribution of the great researchers that count, it's the
endless hours thatlresearchers and labs, big and small, devote
to studying everything from the common cold to genetic coping
that will lead to \the kinds of breakthrough research that we
all count on.
.
without basic research we would never have been able
to beat diseases like hepatitis or polio. We would never have
benefitted from vadcines and drug treatments and new diagnostic
and surgical techn~que that save thousands of lives every year.
In short, without Ibasic biomedical research, we would never
have achieved the quality of health care or the quality of life
that most Americans enjoy •
•I
.
•
.
The Un1ted states has had no r1val 1n baS1C
biomedical research because of our government's investment in
NIH, and in our na~ion's great research universities, and in
the brilliant research and development found in our private
sector as well. Ahd yet we know that the research in and of
itself would not b~I what we see and feel every day w~re it not
•
for the use that 1t has been put to.
Today I slw firsthand the methods when I met a seven
year old girl nametl Ashanti Desilva.
Near three and a half
years ago she was iA this hospital to receive the world's first
gene therapy, to t~eat her ADA condition, a genetic deficit
that destroys the ikmune system and leaves a person vulnerable
to countless infect~ons. Before her treatment her life was one
of confinement and fear.
Today she is healthy and living a
full life.
MORE
�4
From the discovery in 1944 that genes are made of
DNA, to the breaking of the DNA code in 1961, to the
explanation of re~roviruses in 1970, to the cloning of DNA in
1983, scientists ~t NIH put the pieces of the puzzle together
that made Ashantijs treatment possible, and made it possible
for me to see her in the company of a very happy follower this
morning.
I
That's why the President believes so strongly in the
need for continued! investment in basic science and biomedical
research and traitiing. And that's why he also believes it is
essential that we preserve the mission of the academic health
centers which train young scientists and doctors and help treat
some of the most v1exing diseases facing mankind.
For much of the past decade biomedical research has
been neglected and underfunded and even unappreciated. and the
President intends. to fix that.
He intends to fix it by
reaffirming our nanions commitment to basic biomedical research
and training, and :by fixing our health care system overall. It
is that dual commit1ment that brings me in part to you today.
In 1945, in his landmark reform, Dr. Bannager Bush
said, liThe progresp in the war against disease depends upon a
flow of new scientific knowledge, new products, new industries
and more jobs reqJiring continuous additions to knowledge of
the law of nature,: and the application of that knowledge to
practical purpose.,"
In keeping with that philosophy the
Clinton administration has provided new resources in the past
year for the reseatch enterprise here at NIH.
I
In fisca~ 1994 the President and Congress increased
the NIH budget by $631 million over fiscal 1993. In the face
of fierce spending restraints agreed to wit.h Congress, the
President has propo;sed another $517 million increase for fiscal
1995; most of it f0r basic research.
es~ablishing
The
prJsident also believes
in
priorities for res:earch that will provide direction without
tying hands.
There are significant new funds for AIDS
research; 21 perc~nt more last year, and another 6 percent
increase this yearJ
There iJ a strong commitment to breast cancer
research including ~unding for hundreds of new projects in this
area. And there will be an 18 percent increase in the genal
project in the fisdal 1995 budget.
MORE
�5
without these kinds of expanded investments in
medical research, we cannot have a health care system that
gives us the kind of health care we want and expect as a
nation. Key elemeritts of reform, quality, prevention and saving
simply cannot be abhieved without continuing and strengthening
our research effO~\tS'
The President's approach to reform reflect the vital
intersection betw~en research and high· quality affordable
health care.
Th~ President's approach will provide health
security for eve~y citizen beginning with private health
insurance coverag~ that guarantees comprehensive benefits.
That means that eVery citizen can take full advantage of the
breakthroughs you I achieve here, breakthroughs that not only
save lives, but save money. So that in the future we will not
wake up, as we did\ this morning, to front-page articles about
insurance companie,s determine arbitrarily who is entitled to
the kinds of trea~ments and breakthroughs you work. hard. to
provide for American citizens and those people around the
globe.
Those of you in the medical profession know all too
well the impact that a chronic illness can have on a family, or
a pink slip that results in a lost job and lost health
benefits.
Or a preexisting condition that isn't covered by
most health plans.
I
I
Several 0f you in the presentation that I heard this
morning mentioned Klaska awards, and in particular the work and
I
comment that Dr. Na:ncy Wessler made to me that made such a very
big impression on ke, which was reiterated by several of you
today; that at thel rate you are going, with the work you are
doing, we will soon discover we all have preexisting conditions
and are all totally uninsurable.
So if thlre'is no other reason for the research and
scientific community to support universal health care for all
Americans, do it out of self-interest so that you too will have
insurance when we reach the point where we know everything
there is to know about what diseases we are genetically
predisposed to ( i n a u d i b l e ) . '
A few moJths ago a scientist pointed out to me that
this kind of work that you are doing will obviously impact, not
just in the future,l but on a daily basis are the young children
that I saw like Aslianti, and that part of what I would try to
do is to spread tha~ word as I travel around the country. And
MORE
�6
so when I speak, I speak not only about the insurance industry,
although that's ufually what gets the coverage, but I speak
also about the nee~ for research and support of basic research
and clinical work that will lead to the ultimate for benefit in
health care. The lelimination, or certainly the amelioration,
of many of the diseases that afflict us now.
I
.
If we are able to match our research progress with
the reforms in our I health care system, then we will be able to
maximize the posi~ive impact of the work that you are engaged
in.
Because heallth . security not only means guaranteeing
comprehensive ben~fits throughout a person's life, it also
means emphasizing rarlY diagnosis and prevention of diseases.
And I saw today very graphically illustrated with
family tree,. learrting more about the genetic underpinning. of
diseases like cOloh cancer, will not only be able to serve as
an early warning ~ignal' to those individuals who carry the.
gene.,. but also as h great relief to those members of the same
family who do notJ And that the obvious impact of- bringing
this work into th1e lives and the doctors' offices and the
hospitals of Ameri9a will be to provide 'real security and also
real information about health challenges to all of us.
Now as wl move forward in this health care debate, we
have to recognize I that without co:mprehensive benefits that
include preventive care, that do.what insurance plans today
will not, namely pay for child immunizations, or sonograms'for
pregnant women, orlclinical trials of experimental drugs, that
many of the benef its that you are working to extend to
Americans will rem~in out of reach.
Listen cJrefUllY as the debate goes forward and as it
often (inaudible) I between those who argue. they' are for
universal access versus those who argue they are for universal
coverage. We all Have access right now to everything you have
done to . improve h~alth care in the last decade, but• we all
,
•
I ·
•
•
cannot afford ~t, we all do not have ~nsurance pol~c~es that
will pay for it. So merely having access is being able to go
right now to our nearest car dealership and buy the most
expensive car on the lot. Everyone of us in America has that
right. The fact i~ most of us could not afford realistically
to do so.
I
The President's approach is the only one that covers
clinical trials in Ithe basis benefits package. So no longer
will some be eliminated, because of the insurance coverage they
MORE
�·7
have, if they are candidates for clinical trials that you are
conducting or those with whom you work.
I
.
If we can more effectively put your knowledge and
wisdom to use pr~ventiing diseases, or detecting them early
enough, we can ail.so begin to reign in the rising cost of
American health caire. We will spend towards a trillion dollars
this year, and mUbh of that will go for sick care, not health
care.
I.
.
Despite Ithe remarkable work done at NIH on behavioral
research, for example, we spend billions to treat the symptoms
of disease and comparatively little to prevent.
Another jcritical part of the President's approach is
Title. 3 of the Health Security Act known as the Public Health
Init'iative •. Thisl maps out a vigorous plan of investment in
public health. and biomedical research that will ensure that all
Americans truly dol have access to top quality medical care that
NIH research makes possible.
The President's approach will
promote research Iservices, it will help answer important
questions about the effectiveness of treatment and patient out
(inaudible). Thisl will be very useful to doctors and hospitals
as well as academic health centers and research institutions
training future d1ctors and scientists.
The President's approach also helps to strengthen
academic health cl-anters by requiring that all health plans
contract with acad~mic health centers for the treatment of rare
and specialized di~eases. And I want to emphasize this point.
Many people are doncerned about change in our health care
system.
I
I am con,cerned about what will happen if we fail to
change. I am particularly concerned that with the trends that
are pushing more ~mployers into managed care arrangements in
order to save cost~ because they bear a disproportionate share
of the cost under Fhe way our system currently operates, they
are acceding to demand that they eliminate from their coverage
access to academiclhealth centers.
So that those who are employed or who are enrolled in
such plans, whichl now are increasingly a majority of all
Americans who receive health insurance through their
employment, will nbt have the option of going to the academic
health centers that you work with if they expect to have their
insurance cover sudh treatment. This is particularly important
MORE
�8
that we pay attention to this and work very hard to achieve the
President' s appro~ch which is to require all plans that provide
health insurance c~verage to contract with such academic health
centers in order uo preserve and protect the critical mission
of these centers. I
. Academic health centers also will be crucially
important in servi1ng as the quality foundation for health care
reform, helping tb disseminate information out into clinical
practice. And I Wave to say that one of those things that has
surprised me in tHe past year is how difficult it often is to
get information into the daily practice setting of the majority
of physicians in lour country.
And providing some bridge
between what you do and the academic health centers do through
these quality foun~ations that will be established, we believe
will more. quickly disseminate the information you are compiling
and' analyzing.so-that it can actually be put into effect.
I
.
Above al~, health care· reform 1S not about government
control i about .the Igovernment making decisions. That's left to
doctors or scientists or patients. Reform is about revamping
a system so that private health plans truly compete not over
which insurer can Ido the best job of screening out high-risk
families, but over which can deliver the highest quality care
at the best price.
One of the great attacks that is going on about the
President's approabh is to try to argue that it is government
dominated or government controlled.
That always amuses me
because what we have in our country now is a mixed system in
'which we have gov~rnment financed and supported institutions
11ke NIH; we have ~hose 11ke the academ1c health centers that
receive funding f~om private sources and government sources,
both state and federal; and we have purely private health care
institutions.
•
I
.
I,.
•
.
We intend to maintain that mix, but we intend to try
to provide better ~upport and better functioning of the health
care plan in the ptivate sector so that they can truly compete
with one another, riot in the way that they have competed in the
past, which is tol try to eliminate people from health care
coverage, but by actually providing health care to people •
..
.
.f · 1
Re orm 1S our opport un1 t y f or progress. It 1S our
chance to succeed ~here past generations have failed. It is
our chance to imprpve the health of individual Americans and
protect the integrity of our entire health care system. If we
MORE
�9
can find a vaccine for polio, we can discover the structure of
DNA, surely we ought to be able to make a political decision
necessary to fix and treat a health care system that needs our
help.
I
.
As scientists you are well schooled in the art of
perseverance. You! know what patience and fortitude it takes to
solve the riddleS of disease and to unlock the mystery of
nature and the un~verse. You know how important it is to push
ahead until you dol succeed. Well, that is exactly the attitude
we take with us into this health care debate. We do not expect
it to be easy.
We are well aware of the history, starting with
Franklin Roosevellt,
of presidents,
both Democrat and
Republican;', who, hare understood what was at stake and attempted
to move for:, realliealth security. And we know full well that
there.are.manY'interests arrayed'against· the:changes that, we".
believe 'will provi:de a better and more secure: footing not. only,.
'for. individual.' health, care'status,' but for' ,the· institutions...
like NIH.that are so vital to our overall health care status in
our country.
I
The next months will be very challenging and
difficult months. I It always is easier to maintain the status
quo, which is what has happened repeatedly in our efforts to
reform health c~re in the past.
This time, however,
maintaining the status quo cannot be an acceptable alternative.
kno~
We
that we have the finest doctors and
researchers and scientists and hospitals and nurses in the
world.
But we al~o have the stupidest financing system for
health care in th~ world. And the stupidity of that system
threatens the quaiity of all that you do and are engaged in
doing to try to improve the health of both individuals and the
nation.
We are facing challenges from those who do not
believe in research or do not believe in the government's role
in research. We a~e facing challenges from those who believe
that the billions bf dollars we spend 'on the paperwork health
care system are jtistifiable, and we are facing challenges of
trying to explain to Americans why what they hold dear to their
health care system and what they hope for with the
breakthroughs that you are on the brink of giving them every
day, are in danger unless we have the courage to change.
MORE
�.-
.
."
10
We have to (inaudible) those who would undermine our
commitment to basic research, who would engage in giving
balanced budget amendments that would decimate many of the
functions that wei believe are important to investing in the
future health cal:je for all of us at an increasingly higher
level of scientific understanding and the better delivery
system that comeslwith that.
What we hope you will do 'as scientists and
researchers and dbctors is to take a stand on behalf of what
you know and what Iyou care about. And that is the commitment
you have given your lives to, of improving health, of unlocking
the myster1es tha~ surround d1sease, of help1ng to cure and
prevent all that ails each of us as we move through our lives.
And if you bring t~at commitment to this challenge, your voices
will be heard loudly.
•
I
•
•
You havi more . , credibility' than",many ,of the forces;,;
arrayed,,:againstth'e, changes' that we ,seek ,top ,benefit· all· of.-us.""
with your.help .we lcan~, In',Louis ,Pasteur,'s words", ."Extend',the, ~",
frontiers (inaudible)"~ and',make our .. fellowt :citizens' , and.;, our
nation healthier, IhapPier'and more secure."
Thank you very much.
(Applause)
I
(The speech was concluded.)
* * * * *
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lissa Muscatine - Press Office
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
First Lady's Office
Press Office
Lissa Muscatine
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1993 - 1997
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
<a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/show/36239" target="_blank">Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="http://catalog.archives.gov/id/7431941" target="_blank">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
2011-0415-S
Description
An account of the resource
<p>Lissa Muscatine first served in the Clinton Administration as a speechwriter. Within the First Lady’s Office, she served as Communications Director to the First Lady.</p>
<p>Lissa Muscatine’s records consist of materials from First Lady Hillary Clinton’s Press Office, highlighting topics such as health care, women’s rights, the Millennium Council, Hillary Clinton’s 2000 Senate campaign, and deal extensively with press interviews given by the First Lady; her domestic and foreign travel; and speeches and remarks, on a wide variety of topics, given by her before and during her time as First Lady. The records include interview transcripts, press releases, speeches and speech transcripts.</p>
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Adobe Acrobat Document
Extent
The size or duration of the resource.
1,324 folders in 27 boxes
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Paper
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
10/10/2012FLOTUS Statements and Speeches 12/2/93 - 4/26/94 [Binder]: [2/17/94 National Institutes of Health]
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
Box 14
<a href="http://clintonlibrary.gov/assets/Documents/Finding-Aids/Systematic/2011-0415-S-Muscatine.pdf" target="_blank">Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="http://catalog.archives.gov/id/7431941" target="_blank">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
First Lady's Office
Press Office
Lissa Muscatine
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
2011-0415-S
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Adobe Acrobat Document
Medium
The material or physical carrier of the resource.
Reproduction-Reference
Date Created
Date of creation of the resource.
11/26/2012
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
2011-0415-S-flotus-statements-and-speeches-12-2-93-4-26-94-binder-2-17-94-national-institutes-of-health
7431941