Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, we have been through this debate and we have had objections from the opposite side of the aisle now on three occasions. Again, I thought we were able to make the case and to point out that it is within our power to move this amendment and to do something about the devastation of Africa, the dying that is going on. I ask my colleagues to disregard all of the comments they hear about the culture does not know how to accommodate using medications. Mr. Chairman, I ask my colleagues to disregard comments about the infrastructure is such that it is better that we do not try to do something about presenting the people of Africa with this opportunity. This is another parliamentary maneuver to block us from having an amendment that would deal directly with getting the WTO out of the business of making a case out of countries simply taking care of their AIDS patients who need medicine. We know how powerful [pharmaceuticals] are, and we know that they are in opposition to this amendment. We know that the pharmaceuticals will hold out as long as we allow them to and watch people die, thousands of them by the day, to protect their intellectual property rights, to protect their patents, to protect their whatever. Again, public policymakers should not allow any special interest to have that much power.”