Peter Welch

In order for me to love the law and love our country, you know, looking at things in a critical way, just simply substantiates why our country and our democracy is as great as it is.

It is about the process, not the individual.

In order for me to love the law and love our country, you know, looking at things in a critical way, just simply substantiates why our country and our democracy is as great as it is.

I'm definitely hoping, as I've said before, that we maintain the budget--we don't cut it for the Federal Defenders.

It is about the process, not the individual.

In order for me to love the law and love our country, you know, looking at things in a critical way, just simply substantiates why our country and our democracy is as great as it is.

That's why I'm definitely hoping, as I've said before, that we maintain the budget--we don't cut it for the Federal Defenders.

It is about the process, not the individual.

Nobody wants to be censoring, so I get that.

Nobody wants to be censoring, so I get that.

Nobody wants to be censoring, so I get that.

We cannot have a judicial system that doesn't have very competent public defenders.

We cannot have a judicial system that doesn't have very competent public defenders to represent people.

I don't get it where you get a patent, let's say for 20 years and it goes on for 30 years or 35 years.

What is the ability and the commitment of the Patent Office to stop the extension of that period of exclusivity and monopoly power that has been so consistently abused by the drug companies to rip off American taxpayers, American…

There are no two stronger champions of the intellectual property rights of innovators and patent holders than the two leaders of this Committee, Senator Coons, Senator Tillis, and I support your efforts in that respect.

It is really important, your responsibility, to have patents issued timely, appropriately, for innovators.

But what I have seen is, in particular in the drug industry, an abuse by patent holders of that period of exclusivity.

What is the ability and the commitment of the Patent Office to stop the extension of that period of exclusivity and monopoly power that has been so consistently abused by the drug companies to rip off American taxpayers, American…

I don't get it where you get a patent, let's say for 20 years and it goes on for 30 years or 35 years.

I want to know what you see as the obligation of the Patent Office to not--on the one side, protect the patent rights of the intellectual property holders, I get that, but the abuse by the patent holders to extend beyond the period of…

There are no two stronger champions of the intellectual property rights of innovators and patent holders than the two leaders of this Committee, Senator Coons, Senator Tillis, and I support your efforts in that respect.

It is really important, your responsibility, to have patents issued timely, appropriately, for innovators.

But what I have seen is, in particular in the drug industry, an abuse by patent holders of that period of exclusivity.

And where you have a patent system that can be abused by the patent holders, and they go beyond the period of exclusivity, it is brutal on the cost of healthcare for American employers.