For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 1, 2005

Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives

Dear Mr. Speaker:

Today, I outlined a strategy to address the threat of avian and pandemic influenza. This strategy is designed to meet three critical goals: to detect and contain outbreaks before they spread across the world, to protect the American people by stockpiling vaccines and antiviral drugs and accelerating the development of new vaccine technologies, and to ensure that Federal, State, and local communities are prepared for potential domestic outbreaks.

To provide the necessary resources to immediately begin the implementation of this strategy, I ask the Congress to consider the enclosed requests, totaling $7.1 billion, for the Departments of Health and Human Services, Agriculture, Defense, Homeland Security, the Interior, State, and Veterans Affairs, as well as for International Assistance Programs.

I hereby designate the proposals in the amount requested herein as emergency requirements, and I urge the Congress to act expeditiously on this request to ensure the country is prepared for this growing danger.

The details of this request are set forth in the enclosed letter from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Sincerely,

GEORGE W. BUSH

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