Political Quotes

“I rise to oppose H.R. 2739, which would implement the United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement. I am especially opposed to the intellectual property rights provisions contained in chapter 16 of this agreement because they could restrict the access of the people of Singapore to affordable medicines for HIV/AIDS and other diseases. The agreement delays the introduction of generic competition and extends patent terms, thus extending the length of time during which people in Singapore would be required to pay monopoly prices for medicines. The agreement also restricts Singapore's use of compulsory licensing and parallel importation mechanisms that allow governments to override patents in order to protect public health. If the United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement becomes a template for negotiations with other developing countries, people throughout the developing world will find it harder to gain access to affordable medicines. Currently, access to medicines is severely limited in developing countries because developing countries cannot afford to purchase medicines at the prices charged by the multinational pharmaceutical companies. More than 40 million people are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide, and over 95 percent of them live in developing countries. Yet many of the medicines that treat people with HIV/AIDS here in the United States are unavailable in most developing countries.”