Thursday, May 9, 2013

Had Congressional visit here at NIH in the Clinical Center medical Board Room on 4th Floor of Building10. Delegation led by Eric Cantor (R-VA). Also present were Congressmen Andy Harris (R-MD), Elliot Engel (D-NY), Ted Yoho (R-FL), Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Renee Ellmers (R-NC). Tim Murphy (R-PA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR). NIH was represented by me, Francis Collins, Gary Gibbons, Eric Green, Chris Austin, Larry Tabak, Kathy Hudson, John Gallin. We were trying (successfully) to familiarize them with the NIH and what we do. Also, to impress on them the damage due to sequestration. I spoke about the major advances in treatment of HIV and the possibility of a universal Influenza vaccine. All in all it was a very good meeting. Went to Book party at the home of Bob and Deborah Seder in honor of Andrea Redmond who co-authored book called “Rwanda, Inc.” about entrepreneurship in Rwanda and the effect on the economy. Had long conversation with my good friend Cheryl Mills, Former Chief-of-Staff to Sec. Hillary Clinton and long-time Counselor to Clinton about the “scandal” associated with the Benghazi incident where the Republicans are trying to attack the Administration and especially Hillary Clinton for negligence/incompetence in not protecting and responding in time to the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attack on the US Embassy in Benghazi, Libya in which the US Ambassador was killed. Cheryl says that the whistle-blower Greg Hicks is clearly not telling the story as it happened with regard to the State Department responding or not to the threats against the embassy. I obviously believe Cheryl.