No State has made that statement to us

at this point.

We intend to acquire 50 million courses

of antivirals.

Let me reconcile the entire amount and

then give you the timeframes. We will have by the end of 2006

the 26 million that you have spoken...

We will make a distribution of that 50

million among the States on essentially a proportionate basis.

So they will have that available to...

We are.

Actually, we would prefer that they

utilize the $350 million to build up the public health

infrastructure and to reach deep into the community...

Oh.

I misunderstood your question.

At this point, we have not begun to

distribute the stockpile of vaccine that we have. It is

relatively small, but we will not release it...

Oh.

Third time is the charm, Senator. You

got it.

I think you finally reached me.

I hadn't thought of that.

It's a really interesting idea----

I'd be happy to give it

some thought and respond back to you.

Mr. Senator, as I indicated earlier,

this is one of the President's high priorities, and this budget

includes funds to continue forward...

As I speak with those who run and

operate these in the same way that you have, there are always

needs there.

I would not want to say that we will

have quenched that, but we do recognize that training is a

component of it and want to meet those needs.

WELLNESS...

I believe, Senator, it should become our

entire focus. When I say entire focus--until we begin to view

wellness with the same passion we...

We anticipated that in the first year,

we would see 28 to 30 million people enroll. We have now

exceeded 30 million. We anticipate between...

Senator, millions of people--tens of

millions of people--have prescription drug coverage who did not

have it before. That is a great step...

We have had that problem--I want to

answer your question. About half of them are in a low-income

status, and we have granted them the ability...

If you are in fact a low-income eligible

person, you will not have a penalty, and you will not be

required to wait until the next enrollment...

We believe that a deadline is necessary

and that it is working. The Government actuary told us if we

did not have a deadline, we would have...

Senator, we do have an epidemic of

obesity, particularly among our young people, and the Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention does...

Senator Kohl, I concur with you that

there is a need to speed generic drugs to market. It is a good

thing for consumers. It's a good thing...

We are putting substantial focus on it,

however, I will tell you, at FDA.

Let me suggest one piece of information

that might at least give you some insight into this. Of the 800

applications, some of them are essentially...

Senator, you have listed a number of

different areas, so let me do my best to respond to them and to

give you a sense of what was going...

We'll be happy to respond to that.

[The information follows:]

Alzheimer's Demonstration Grants

For 14 years under the Alzheimer's...

I, like you, come from a State where

rural medicine is a very important part of the social fabric of

our State, and so I have become quite...

Senator, could I just make one other

quick statement on a previous matter?

I'd just like to acknowledge that--the

commitment that I feel to maintain the momentum of the research

we have going at NIH. I'll probably...

Our purpose is to continue a portion of

it in the Administration on Aging. We do believe, as you have

stated, the need for us to deinstitutionalize...

Something we'd like to change.

I have asked my staff to respond as

quickly as possible.

Thank you.

[The information follows:]

Aging Services Programs

Thank you for this opportunity to clarify my remarks at the recent

hearing....