Political Quotes

“I thank the distinguished chairman of the Judiciary Committee and our ranking member and those who are working very hard on a very important jobs bill today. On behalf of the people of Detroit, the people of Michigan and Senator Levin and myself, I thank very much the Members for their support of this amendment. Madam President, just few months ago, we learned that Detroit, MI, will be home to the first-ever satellite office of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. This office is such great news for Michigan, where we have a proud tradition of innovation and invention. Every day, we are looking to innovate and create 'the next big thing.' The decision to locate this satellite office in Detroit shows just how much new invention is happening in Michigan. Thanks to some of the best research universities in the country, with an incredibly skilled workforce, we have become third in the nation in terms of clean energy patents. And we are getting new patents every single day. In addition to clean energy, Michigan is home to groundbreaking research in fields such as agriculture, defense technology, medical technology and pharmaceuticals, advanced batteries, and, of course, automobiles. This patent office will help us continue that tradition of innovation, while reducing the backlog of patent applications so those new products can get to the market faster. It makes perfect sense to locate this new satellite office in Detroit.”