Bruce F. Vento: “I would want to point out that this is a good bill, but one of the major ways that we gain information here is by…”

“I would want to point out that this is a good bill, but one of the major ways that we gain information here is by consulting with the indigenous people of these areas from the rain forests that in fact have used many of the products, the plants, both the fauna and flora of these rain forests for medicinal and other purposes. That consultation process is recognized in Amendment No. 3 that I have here where I amend and put the word ``indigenous,'' as well as consulting with the scientists, with the government officials and others, the academic side, to in fact consult with the indigenous people. What we really have in consulting with the indigenous people from these cultures is really the history of humankind in terms of the success, the trial and errors that they have used in terms of applying these plant substances, these animal substances for medicinal uses. It only is logical, in fact that is the way that most scientists, most ethnobotanists and others in fact gain the clues as to where to search for and look and seek these, what we call wonder drugs today.”