Haley Stevens: “I want the Senate to know I welcome the attention of Senators to the problem of the avian virus. In 1997, because of…”

“I want the Senate to know I welcome the attention of Senators to the problem of the avian virus. In 1997, because of information I discovered concerning what Senator Obama just mentioned--the intersection where wild birds come to Alaska from the Chinese mainland and other places in the world, including Russia--we began a series of funds in the Agriculture bill to study the process of this virus being transmitted. As Senator Obama has mentioned, so far it has always been bird to bird or animal to animal. There has been no transmutation to take it from human to human or bird to human. It is one of the dangerous problems of the world, no question about it. When I first heard of Senator Harkin's amendment, I said I might--I said I would cosponsor it. As I read it, it is not just about the virus. It is reversing the President's decision with regard to State and local public health agencies. It is starting an addition to the domestic vaccine infrastructure. All of that, I understand, was part of the briefing some Senators had yesterday and I am informed others will soon get. There is a BioShield group working in the administration, particularly in the agencies that are dealing with disease control and various other subjects. There will undoubtedly be a presentation by them to the Congress. There has not been such a presentation yet. The briefing the Senators got was for the information concerning what those people are doing who are working on that plan.…”