Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I thank Senator Hatch so much. I thank my friend and colleague, Senator Feinstein, for this critical amendment. Mr. President, I rise in support of the amendment offered by my dear friend and colleague, Senator Feinstein. The amendment would strike the first-to-file provision in the patent reform bill. I was pleased to work with my colleague, Dr. Coburn, in support of his amendment to allow the patent office to keep its user fees, which was accepted into the managers' amendment that passed yesterday. To me, that was one of the most important reforms we could enact in this legislation--giving the PTO the resources it needs to serve the public. I support efforts to improve our patent system. And there are some good things in this bill, including efforts to help small businesses navigate the PTO. But I strongly disagree with changing the core principle of our patent system--awarding a patent to the true inventor--for the sake of perceived administrative ease. Unlike other countries, our patent system is rooted in our Constitution. We are the only country in the world whose Constitution specifically mentions ``inventor.'' Article I, section 8 states ``The Congress shall have the power . . . To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries.'' Our system recognizes the complete process of invention--from conception to completion.…”