Reuters has a fact list on Dr. Hamburg.
* Hamburg is currently a senior scientist at the nonprofit Nuclear Threat Initiative in Washington, which works to reduce the global threats from nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons.
* Hamburg is a former Assistant Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, or NIAID, one of the National Institutes of Health.
* She is also a former Health and Human Services Department adviser on policy and regulations.
* Hamburg is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Medical School, with an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the New York Hospital/Cornell University Medical Center.
* As New York health commissioner she set up bioterrorism, tuberculosis control, childhood immunization and needle-exchange initiatives -- achievements that make her a sought-after speaker at meetings on biological threats and infectious diseases.
* She is on the board for the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies. Nanotechnology is currently virtually unregulated in the United States.
The entire transcript of Obama's address is in this dKos frontpage diary by Barbara Morill The most poignant point is the end of his speech.
In the end, food safety is something I take seriously, not just as your President, but as a parent. When I heard peanut products were being contaminated earlier this year, I immediately thought of my 7-year old daughter, Sasha, who has peanut butter sandwiches for lunch probably three times a week. No parent should have to worry that their child is going to get sick from their lunch. Just as no family should have to worry that the medicines they buy will cause them harm. Protecting the safety of our food and drugs is one of the most fundamental responsibilities government has, and, with the outstanding team I am announcing today, it is a responsibility that I intend to uphold in the months and years to come.
The Obamas continue to show that food safety and nutrition are very important for their children. What great parents they are, and I know the right hates this. I'm gonna say it anyway, I hope Barack can father this country with such care. The right hates the nanny state, but what does it really mean? Anyone who had parents that went out frequently knows there are good babysitters and bad. Or anyone that watched the Simpsons episodes Some Enchanted Evening and New Kid on the Block In SEE the babysitter is a wanted felon who ties up the children and robs the house. In NKB Bart falls in love with his cool babysitter. In the end it's not about catch phrases it's about results. Obama seems to be delivering day after day, and if he continues we'll be in a much better place in four years.
I'll end with a interesting couple quotes about Dr. Hamburg from a Time magazine article.
•"She's all about integrity and science. ... She can be tough when she needs to be, and she's going to need to be real tough in that job."
-Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. (AP, March 11, 2009 )
• "I believe that in this age of terror, the only thing that can stop a small group of committed individuals is a large group of committed individuals. Only all of us acting together, with wise policies and sound judgments, can make our world safer."
- A speech to graduating students at Bowdoin College, May 2003
(I know this one is about terror, but it translates towards agribusiness and soft drink companies as well) |
