HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson Resigns, Warns About Avian Flu, Food Supply

CAL/AAEM News Service calaaem_news at yahoo.com
Thu Dec 16 19:43:45 PST 2004


HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson Resigns, Warns About Avian Flu, Food Supply

Source: California Healthline (www.californiahealthline.org)
Date: December 6, 2004
 

HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson on Friday announced his resignation and, "freed
from the constraints of administration policy," expressed "grave concern" about
the risks of an avian flu pandemic and a terrorist attack on the U.S. food
supply, the New York Times reports (Pear, New York Times, 12/4). Thompson, the
eighth Cabinet member to resign since Bush won re-election, also said that he
plans to propose a plan to reform FDA oversight of prescription drugs after
they reach the market (Alonso-Zaldivar/Chen, Los Angeles Times, 12/4).

According to Thompson spokesperson Kevin Keane, the secretary had not planned
make such "candid" and "surprising statements" in his resignation announcement
and only "went with the flow" of the news conference, the Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel reports (Skiba, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12/3). Although
"surprising in its candor and tone, Thompson's remarks were emblematic of the
distance he has sometimes maintained with the Bush White House," USA Today
reports (Welch, USA Today, 12/6). Thompson, who said that he had sought to
resign in 2003 but agreed to remain through the first term of President Bush at
the request of the White House, will remain in office until Feb. 4 or until the
Senate confirms a replacement (New York Times, 12/4).

In his resignation letter to Bush, Thompson wrote that "these have been four
challenging years filled with unexpected tragedies" but added that "we have
successfully seized on these opportunities to turn tragedy into triumph and
problems into solutions, making our country and world healthier places in the
process." Thompson also wrote that HHS "takes great pride in being your
Department of Compassion" and works "tirelessly to put into practice the
compassion of your agenda for America" (Thompson letter text, St. Paul Pioneer
Press, 12/4).


Avian Flu Concerns
At the news conference, Thompson cited World Health Organization studies that
found as many as 70 million individuals worldwide could die in an avian flu
pandemic and said, "No other disease has had that kind of lethality before. And
we do not have a vaccine" (Hutcheson/Pugh, Philadelphia Inquirer, 12/4).

Thompson also said that Congress has not provided adequate funds for research
on an avian flu vaccine, adding, "This is really a huge bomb out there that
could adversely impact on the health care of the world" (Loven, AP/Newark Star
Ledger, 12/4).


Food Supply Concerns
Thompson also raised concerns about a potential terrorist attack on the U.S.
food supply (Philadelphia Inquirer, 12/4). "For the life of me, I cannot
understand why the terrorists have not attacked our food supply because it is
so easy to do," Thompson said, adding, "We are importing a lot of food from the
Middle East, and it would be easy to tamper with that."

Thompson said that although U.S. inspections of imported food have increased
over the past four years, they remain inadequate (AP/Newark Star-Ledger, 12/4).



Thompson Praises Passage of Medicare Law
Thompson called the passage of the new Medicare law "the most historic
improvement in Medicare since it was created in 1965" (New York Times, 12/4).
Thompson said, "We touched a third rail of politics and delivered on our
promise to modernize Medicare with prescription drug coverage. Now seniors and
the disabled will get substantial help paying for the modern medicines and
preventive services that extend and enhance their lives" (Los Angeles Times,
12/4).

However, he said that the Medicare law should have allowed the HHS secretary to
negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies for discounts on prescription
drugs for beneficiaries, a provision that the Bush administration has said
would lead to price controls and limit research and development. "I would like
to have had the opportunity to negotiate," Thompson said (New York Times,
12/4).

In his letter of resignation, Thompson also praised: the increase in the number
of community health centers; record high immunization rates for children; the
increase in ability of the federal government to respond to bioterrorist
attacks and other public health emergencies; HHS efforts to address illicit
drug use, obesity and disease prevention; improved services at the department;
and "medical diplomacy" worldwide (St. Paul Pioneer Press, 12/4). He added that
a Bush administration pledge to spend $15 billion on global HIV/AIDS prevention
would help limit the spread of the disease (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12/3).


Scully Incident, Federal Bureaucracy
Thompson said that he was "less than thorough" in his oversight of former CMS
Administrator Thomas Scully, who prevented the release of cost estimates for
the new Medicare law to Congress, the Inquirer reports (Philadelphia Inquirer,
12/4).

Thompson also criticized the federal bureaucracy. "Out here, in this
department, you get an idea and you have to vet it with all the division heads
and the 67,000 employees. ... then it goes over to the supergod in our society,
and the supergod is" the White House Office of Management and Budget, Thompson
said, adding, "And they turn you down nine times out of 10, just to show you
who the boss is. Then it goes to the young intelligentsia of the White House,
who don't believe that anything original or good can come from a cabinet
secretary. And if you do get by them, it goes to the president. And if the
president does agree with it, it goes on to the Congress, and if Congress ever
does pass it, it's time to retire" (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12/3).


Bush Reaction
Bush on Friday in a statement said that Thompson was "a friend and a true
public servant who worked every day to make Americans healthier" (Los Angeles
Times, 12/4). Bush added that Thompson worked "to help more Americans in need
achieve the dream of independence and personal responsibility" (AP/Newark
Star-Ledger, 12/4). Bush praised Thompson for his efforts on Medicare reform,
HIV/AIDS prevention, community health centers and health information
technology. In addition, Bush called Thompson a "stalwart member of my homeland
security team" for his efforts on bioterrorism (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,
12/3).

Bush on Saturday "played down" the concerns that Thompson raised about a
potential avian flu pandemic and terrorist attack on the U.S. food supply,
Reuters/Los Angeles Times reports (Reuters/Los Angeles Times, 12/5). According
to the AP/Baltimore Sun, Bush "neither criticized" the concerns raised by
Thompson "nor implied that the food supply is safer than Thompson asserted"
(AP/Baltimore Sun, 12/5).

Bush said that Thompson "was commenting on the fact that we're a large country,
with all kinds of avenues where somebody can inflict harm," adding, "We're
doing everything we can to protect the American people" (Reuters/Los Angeles
Times, 12/5). Bush added, "We've made a lot of progress in protecting our
country, and there's more work to be done, and this administration is committed
to doing it" (AP/Baltimore Sun, 12/5).


Other Reaction
Lawmakers and policy analysts over the weekend discussed Thompson and his
efforts as HHS secretary. According to the New York Times, Thompson "was a
conservative Republican but also a pragmatist," who Democrats considered "an
advocate for domestic programs in an administration that seemed to devote more
attention to foreign and military policy" (New York Times, 12/4).

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said in a statement that Thompson has led HHS "through
a difficult and dynamic time of positive changes" (O'Connell, Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel, 12/4). Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), who often disagreed with
Thompson on health care issues, said, "He's always been a straight shooter, was
always willing to try to tackle issues objectively, and always had good ideas
and a common touch" (New York Times, 12/4). Robert Moffit, director of domestic
and economic policy at the Heritage Foundation, called the new Medicare law
"the most consequential thing that's happened in health care policy since
1965."

However, some analysts said that other than Medicare reform, they considered
"Thompson's four years in HHS as somewhat unremarkable, especially due to
Congress's inability to reauthorize welfare reform legislation," the Journal
Sentinel reports. David Bryden of the Global AIDS Alliance also criticized
Thompson, who as chair of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and
Malaria had presided over a reduction in U.S. contributions to the fund
(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12/4). Donald Kennedy, editor of Science magazine
and a former president of Stanford University, added, "Tommy Thompson didn't
know much about public health when he came in, very little at all. His response
to Sept. 11 and the anthrax letters was not particularly distinguished."


Thompson Future
Thompson said he likely would seek a job in the private sector, although he
remains interested in politics (Los Angeles Times, 12/4). Thompson, a former
governor of Wisconsin, said that he might run for governor in the future,
adding, "I happen to love politics. Why would I say no?" Thompson also said
that he might run against Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) (New York Times, 12/4).

James Klauser, a Milwaukee utility executive with ties to Thompson, said that
the secretary likely would take time to consider his next move. "These last
four years have been very intense. I think a couple of years in the private
sector will refresh him," Klauser said (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12/3).


Potential Replacements
According to the Long Island Newsday, the resignation of Thompson "adds more
uncertainty to the administration's health care agenda," which some have called
a "low priority for the Bush administration" (Barfield Berry, Long Island
Newsday, 12/4). However, according to the Baltimore Sun, Medicare reform "looms
as a major agenda item," with a focus "on the nuts and bolts of implementing
reforms already signed into law" (Greene/Stroh, Baltimore Sun, 12/4).

CMS Administrator Mark McClellan is the "top candidate" to replace Thompson,
according to unnamed administration officials, the Wall Street Journal reports
(Lueck/McKinnon, Wall Street Journal, 12/6). "The president's not asked for my
opinion, and rightly so. If it's Mark, I think we will be very happy with that
decision," Thompson said (Washington Times, 12/4).

Thompson also said that HHS Deputy Secretary Claude Allen and Sen. John Breaux
(D-La.) could replace him as department secretary and that former House Speaker
Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) has expressed interest in the position (New York Times,
12/4). According to the Los Angeles Times, other potential replacements for
Thompson include CDC Director Julie Gerberding, NIH Director Elias Zerhouni and
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases (Los Angeles Times, 12/4).


Broadcast Coverage
NPR's "All Things Considered" on Friday reported on the Thompson resignation.
The segment includes comments from Thompson and McClellan (Rovner, "All Things
Considered," NPR, 12/3). The complete segment is available online in
RealPlayer. 



=====
Cyrus Shahpar & Brian Potts 
Managing Editors, CAL/AAEM News Service 
UC-Irvine


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