Political Quotes

On the recordJuly 10, 2002
the patent issue is a separate issue from reimportation, but we are all interested in making drugs affordable and accessible to the seniors of America. The Republican Party has made that one of its top issues this year. To just review the patent situation, if you invent a computer chip like Steve Jobs, the proverbial dot.com success story, if you do that tinkering away in the midnight hours at your house, you get a patent. That patent helps you recoup the costs and all your time and pays you off for your ingenuity and genius mind. With a drug company, they are a little different. The research is subsidized by the taxpayers, so why are we giving them such a long, 17-year patent when in fact so much of the research is subsidized?
Said by
Angus King
Independent · Maine

Editor's note · Context

Discussing the relationship between drug patents and the affordability of medications for seniors.

Share

More from Angus King

Aug 14, 2026

I urge every single one of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand up, assert our constitutional authority, and demand immediate answers from ICE on their hiring practices, training, and tactics.

king.senate.gov
Aug 9, 2026

Mosquitoes are more than just a nuisance – they have the potential to transmit dangerous diseases which threaten American public health.

king.senate.gov
Aug 21, 2026

I said to the Secretary was, we want a full, transparent and open investigation of this matter.

king.senate.gov
Aug 12, 2026

Energy prices continue to rise nationwide, and this administration is taking products offline just when they could be deployed to strengthen the power grid, improve the quality of life, and curb the cost of living for American families.

padilla.senate.gov

Other voices in this conversation