I was disappointed to see in your budget request that your plans cut the funding for the centers by $1.7 million for a total of $72.3 million.

We wrote into law certain guidelines, put it right into the law.

It's interesting, because you know, I've been interested in complementary and alternative medicine for a long time.

Some people have different rates of metabolism. People have to exercise and eat less than other people in order not to become obese.

Anything else, Dr. Collins, about gene therapy--what was that dog's name?

We don't know how many are in each State. We just know there's something going on there, right?

What would you think about that? I've never talked to Senator Stevens about this but this idea of having advance directives? People don't. They just don't think about it. Maybe when people get on Medicare that ought to be a part of when…

Pancreatic cancer is so bad because there's no early detection.

How certain are you? I mean, what's the success rate if you had 100 people who became symptomatic with anthrax and you gave them this vaccine? What's the survival rate?

I'm still concerned about that.

Out of $637 million?

In the end it looks like it's even worse.

Senator Harkin and I had to fight like tigers last year to add a little over $600 million to stop a $50 million cut in the National Cancer Institute.

I think we definitely need to understand the strategic importance of NIH.

So, the lower the funding level, the----

Well, I think the obvious thing that strikes me is that we're simply not on a growth pattern like we ought to be on.

Senator Harkin and I added an amendment to the budget resolution last week for $2.2 billion.

Well, if they have been doing guinea pigs for a couple years and they have gotten some pretty good results, I am just wondering how soon they might be ready to take it to a higher order of mammals.