NYT- U.S. Health Chief, Stepping Down, Issues Warning [View All]

[maddezmom]

By ROBERT PEAR

Published: December 4, 2004



WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 - Tommy G. Thompson, the secretary of health and human services, announced Friday that he was resigning, and he expressed grave concern about the threat of a global flu epidemic and the possibility of a terrorist attack on the nation's food supply.

"For the life of me," he said, "I cannot understand why the terrorists have not attacked our food supply because it is so easy to do."

~snip~

Mr. Thompson, freed from the constraints of administration policy, gave candid, unexpected answers to questions posed to him at a news conference at his department.

He said he wished Congress had given him the power to negotiate with drug manufacturers to secure lower prices for Medicare beneficiaries. The White House and Republicans in Congress have insisted that the government should not have that power because it would lead to price controls, reducing the revenues that drug companies need for research.

~snip~
more: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/04/politics/04health.html?hp&ex=1102222800&en=119916d35da95708&ei=5094&partner=homepage