[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 92 (Monday, July 11, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1452]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         INTRODUCING H.R. 3141

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                         HON. MARK STEVEN KIRK

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 11, 2005

  Mr. KIRK. Mr. Speaker, today I introduced H.R. 3141 to terminate 
general system preferences for imports from Brazil.
  I take this action because of extreme action now threatened by the 
current government of Brazil. Last week, that government delivered a 
clear threat to seize patents held by the United States. That threat 
was extreme, unwarranted, and will meet with certain retaliation by the 
United States government. Given that our economy is far larger than 
Brazil's, action of this type will hurt Brazil far more than the U.S. 
and will cause unemployment and loss of income directly due to Brazil's 
reckless trade policy.
  In specific, Brazil threatened Abbott Laboratories, Illinois' largest 
employer. The doctors and scientists at Abbott helped to invent the 
test for HIV and then invented the most powerful treatment for HIV. 
Scientists now are on their way to a cure for AIDS but all of this work 
will end if we let extreme policies seize the patents of scientists 
that represent the only hope for a cure.
  In Brazil, anti-HIV drugs already sell for only half the price of the 
same drugs in the U.S. In my judgment, this proposed action to seize 
U.S. patents is only a subterfuge to not only produce the drug in 
Brazil but also to export it to other countries on the black market--
all in direct violation of Brazil's solemn obligations to the WTO.
  The bill I introduced today will cancel $2 billion in Brazilian 
exports. If Brazil takes this action, further actions will follow to 
the detriment of Brazil.
  Mr. Speaker, I have reviewed this matter with the Chairman of the 
Ways and Means Committee and Speaker Hastert. They share my concerns 
and would strongly urge Brazil to reconsider extreme threats that 
will--in the long run--hurt Brazil far more than the U.S.

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