Political Quotes

“I thank very much the Senator from Delaware, and I appreciate the ability to go ahead. I know the Senator from Arizona is waiting as well. I rise to speak in support of the America Invents Act, a bill to revamp our patent system. As a member of the Judiciary Committee, I worked on this bill. I was one of the cosponsors, and I also helped manage the bill the last time it was on the floor. I am here to make sure we get it over the finish line. It is without dispute that intellectual property is one of our Nation's most valuable assets, and our patent system plays a vital role in maintaining the value of our intellectual property. In fact, the Commerce Department estimates that up to 75 percent of economic growth in our Nation since World War II is due to technological innovation-- innovation that was made possible, in part, by our patent system. I see firsthand the importance of success of a robust patent system whenever I am visiting Minnesota companies and talking with business leaders in our State, as I did many times over the past month. Minnesotans have brought the world everything from the pacemaker to the Post-It-Note. These innovations would not have been possible without the protection of the patent system. This strong commitment to innovation and development is why our State ranks sixth in the Nation in patents per capita, and we are No. 1 per capita for Fortune 500 companies. Companies such as 3M, Ecolab, and Medtronic need an efficient patent system.…”