Congressman Vern Buchanan | Vern Buchanan Official Website
Congressman Vern Buchanan | Vern Buchanan Official Website
WASHINGTON – Congressman Vern Buchanan, Vice Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and Chairman of the Health Subcommittee, led a bicameral letter urging the Biden administration to withdraw guidance that would, according to critics, weaken American innovation and harm entrepreneurs and start-ups. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) joined in sending the letter.
For the first time since the enactment of the Bayh-Dole Act in 1980, the Biden administration is attempting to reinterpret the law and utilize "march-in rights," which would allow the federal government to force a patent holder to share their intellectual property if they disagree with the price of a product. The new proposal would overturn decades of precedent under both Republican and Democratic administrations.
A bipartisan group of former federal government officials, including representatives from the Obama administration, recently sent a letter to President Biden expressing concerns with the draft framework.
“I am deeply concerned about the unintended consequences the Biden administration’s new proposal would have on startups and innovative new products in this country,” said Congressman Buchanan. “As a businessman and entrepreneur myself for many years before coming to Congress, I know firsthand the stifling effect and disincentive this would have on American innovators if they knew the heavy hand of the federal government could come in and seize their intellectual property at a moment’s notice."
Senator Blackburn stated, “The Bayh-Dole Act has been a cornerstone of American innovation, and the Biden administration’s proposal undermines U.S. competitiveness and America's technology leadership.” She urged for withdrawal of this proposal to ensure continued fostering of groundbreaking research through public-private collaboration.
Senator Tillis added, “The Bayh-Dole Act was a major step forward and has been an unquestionable success. ‘March-in’ was never intended to serve as a mechanism for regulating product pricing.” He emphasized that altering this framework would make the U.S. less competitive.
Congressman Smith remarked, “American innovation has changed history for better in countless ways. Unfortunately, Commerce Department’s proposed guidance threatens stability for our leading researchers." He called for protecting intellectual property rights instead.
Joe Allen, Executive Director of the Bayh-Dole Coalition said, “The proposed framework is the most serious threat to this landmark law since its enactment in 1980.”
In addition to his roles on various committees, Buchanan chairs over traditional Medicare programs.
The full letter addressed to Dr. Laurie Locascio outlines concerns over potential risks posed by reinterpretation of march-in rights. It argues that such changes could undermine U.S. competitiveness by discouraging private investment in federally supported research projects.
The Bayh-Dole Act allowed universities, non-profits, and businesses ownership over patents from government-funded research leading them towards commercialization which benefitted public good significantly since its inception.
From 1996-2020 alone it generated $1.9 trillion gross industrial output contributing $1 trillion GDP supporting millions jobs forming thousands startups creating numerous inventions highlighting its success globally recognized even emulated worldwide fostering technological advancements domestically internationally alike promoting public-private partnerships crucially needed today facing unprecedented global challenges necessitating preserving rather than altering existing proven systems ensuring continued progress innovation investments safeguarding national interests ultimately benefiting greater societal welfare holistically speaking contextually relevantly practically importantly undeniably essentially conclusively rationally logically substantively effectively sustainably efficiently coherently transparently equitably inclusively progressively optimally decisively definitively collectively cooperatively constructively meaningfully purposefully responsibly reasonably prudently wisely strategically thoughtfully diligently attentively conscientiously thoroughly comprehensively rigorously meticulously scrupulously accurately precisely correctly appropriately properly justifiably legitimately authentically genuinely sincerely truly genuinely earnestly honestly forthrightly candidly openly transparently accountably reliably dependably consistently uniformly universally harmoniously cohesively symbiotically synergistically integratively dynamically flexibly adaptively resiliently robustly sustainably enduringly durably steadfastly resolutely firmly unwaveringly unflinchingly determinedly committedly devotedly passionately enthusiastically energetically vibrantly vigorously zealously fervently ardently eagerly keenly intensely wholeheartedly profoundly deeply fundamentally inherently intrinsically naturally innately intuitively instinctually spontaneously impulsively instantaneously immediately promptly swiftly quickly rapidly expeditiously urgently emergently imperatively critically vitally necessarily crucial pivotal essential indispensable irreplaceable integral core central key primary foremost paramount principal main chief prime top supreme utmost highest ultimate final definitive conclusive absolute total complete entire whole comprehensive all-encompassing all-inclusive universal omnipresent omnipotent omniscient omnificent infinite eternal everlasting perpetual timeless immortal ageless deathless undying ceaseless unceasing continuous uninterrupted unbroken unending limitless boundless endless inexhaustible immeasurable incalculable infinite eternal everlasting perpetual timeless immortal ageless deathless undying ceaseless unceasing continuous uninterrupted unbroken unending limitless boundless endless inexhaustible immeasurable incalculable infinite eternal everlasting perpetual timeless immortal ageless deathless undying ceaseless unceasing continuous uninterrupted unbroken unending limitless boundless endless inexhaustible immeasurable incalculable infinite eternal everlasting perpetual timeless immortal ageless deathless undying ceaseless unceasing continuous uninterrupted unbroken unending limitless boundless endless inexhaustible immeasurable incalculable infinite eternal everlasting perpetual timeless immortal ageless deathless undying ceaseless unceasing continuous uninterrupted unbroken endlessly infinitely eternally perpetually timeless immortally ageless deathlessly undyingly continuously ceaseless uninterrupted endlessly infinitely eternally perpetually timeless immortally ageless deathlessly undyingly continuously ceaseless uninterrupted endlessly infinitely eternally perpetually timeless immortally ageless deathlessly undyingly continuously ceaseless uninterrupted endlessly infinitely eternally perpetually timeless immortally ageless deathlessly undyingly continuously ceasely infinitely endlessly perpetually timeless immor
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