William Helms: “there are a number of red herrings flying across the Senate in an effort to politicize this issue and scare senior…”

“there are a number of red herrings flying across the Senate in an effort to politicize this issue and scare senior citizens and others. But the bottom line of this issue is whether we will support the search for new medicines or undermine it. Let me quote from an article that was written by Dr. C. Everett Koop and published in the March 28, 1996, issue of The Washington Times: Generic drugs play an important role in helping lower the cost of medicines. But it is the pharmaceutical research industry that discovers and develops those medicines in the first place, investing billions of dollars in research and development that can span decades without any guarantee of success--an investment made possible by our system of patent protection. Congress should stand firm in its decision to provide greater protection for American innovators. This protection is a leap forward in our ongoing battle to preserve our long-term national health.”