Flashback: Obama Criticizes Bush Admin for Being Unprepared To Fight Bird Flu

Barack Obama Although we ░░░░░░░░ begun to step up ░░░░░░░░ the plate in the ░░░░░░░░ it is unfortunate that ░░░░░░░░ of the avian flu ░░░░░░░░ that have been introduced ░░░░░░░░ passed into law Frankly ░░░░░░░░ s been a lot ░░░░░░░░ talk but not enough ░░░░░░░░ And this isn t ░░░░░░░░ true of the Congress ░░░░░░░░ year after publishing the ░░░░░░░░ pandemic flu plan the ░░░░░░░░ has still not released ░░░░░░░░ final HHS Pandemic Flu ░░░░░░░░ Plan Half of states ░░░░░░░░ t published plans either ░░░░░░░░ we know that many ░░░░░░░░ these states will need ░░░░░░░░ help This lack of ░░░░░░░░ is compounded by the ░░░░░░░░ that we still don ░░░░░░░░ have a FDA approved ░░░░░░░░ against avian flu and ░░░░░░░░ one drug that many ░░░░░░░░ are relying on Tamiflu ░░░░░░░░ be less effective than ░░░░░░░░ had thought The manufacturer ░░░░░░░░ also struggling to meet ░░░░░░░░ demand and it could ░░░░░░░░ up to 2 years ░░░░░░░░ it to make enough ░░░░░░░░ the U S stockpile ░░░░░░░░ this Administration finally puts ░░░░░░░░ an order for the ░░░░░░░░ I would ask my ░░░░░░░░ how many hearings and ░░░░░░░░ that they have sat ░░░░░░░░ where witnesses and experts ░░░░░░░░ urged the United States ░░░░░░░░ to be better prepared ░░░░░░░░ these types of crises ░░░░░░░░ failure to prepare for ░░░░░░░░ can have devastating consequences ░░░░░░░░ learned that lesson the ░░░░░░░░ way after Hurricane Katrina ░░░░░░░░ nation must not be ░░░░░░░░ off guard when faced ░░░░░░░░ the prospect of an ░░░░░░░░ flu pandemic The consequences ░░░░░░░░ too high The flyways ░░░░░░░░ migratory birds are well ░░░░░░░░ We know that avian ░░░░░░░░ will likely hit the ░░░░░░░░ States in a matter ░░░░░░░░ time With the regular ░░░░░░░░ season coming up shortly ░░░░░░░░ will be favorable for ░░░░░░░░ of the avian flu ░░░░░░░░ with the annual flu ░░░░░░░░ Such reassortment could lead ░░░░░░░░ a mutated virus that ░░░░░░░░ be transmitted efficiently between ░░░░░░░░ which is the last ░░░░░░░░ needed for pandemic flu ░░░░░░░░ question is will we ░░░░░░░░ ready when that happens ░░░░░░░░ s make sure that ░░░░░░░░ is yes I urge ░░░░░░░░ colleagues in the Senate ░░░░░░░░ the House to push ░░░░░░░░ Administration to take the ░░░░░░░░ needed to prevent a ░░░░░░░░ that we have not ░░░░░░░░ during our lifetimes Thank ░░░░░░░░ I yield the floor.”