Senate talks on bioterror bill hit snag on money issues

Prospects for Senate floor action this week on a bioterrorism bill dimmed Wednesday, as negotiations between Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Public Health Subcommittee ranking member Bill Frist, R-Tenn., reportedly hit a snag.

"We're very far apart on the money," said a Frist spokeswoman.

Kennedy has been talking about as much as $8 billion to $10 billion, while Frist wants something in the $2 billion to $3 billion range.

"We must be ready to respond to the immediate threat by increasing the capacity of the public health system," said the Frist aide. "But the system can't handle that much money at once," she said, referring to the amounts proposed by Kennedy.

The two agree on several aspects of the measure, including more aid for state and local preparedness and incentives to encourage the development of new vaccines.

But they are reportedly at odds over how to help pharmaceutical companies protect themselves from liability associated with drugs and vaccines to treat or prevent illness associated with bioterrorism and the extent to which FDA should be expanded to address safety issues associated with imported food.

A scheduled White House meeting on the measure was cancelled Wednesday, but it was not immediately clear if that was because of the problems that have cropped up.

Meanwhile, House Democrats, led by Minority Leader Gephardt, are scheduled to unveil their own bioterrorism bill this morning. The measure was assembled by a task force headed by Rep. Robert Menendez, D-N.J.