[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16897]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       MAKE RESEARCH FUNDED BY THE PUBLIC AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC

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                         HON. MARTIN OLAV SABO

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 26, 2003

  Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, today I will introduce the Public Access to 
Science Act, PASA, of 2003, legislation to make federally funded 
research available to the public.
  It is wrong when a breast cancer patient cannot access federally 
funded research paid for by her hard-earned taxes. It is wrong when a 
family whose child has a rare disease must pay again for access to 
research their tax dollars already paid for. Common sense dictates we 
provide the most cutting-edge research to all who may benefit from it, 
especially when they have already paid for it with their tax dollars.
  The United States Government funds basic research with the intention 
and the belief that the new ideas and discoveries that result will 
improve the lives and welfare of the people of the United States and 
around the world. Our government spends $45 billion a year to support 
scientific and medical research whose product is new knowledge for the 
public benefit. We must remember that government funded research 
belongs to, and should be readily available to, every person in the 
United States. Lifting restrictions that prevent the widespread sharing 
of federally funded research can only speed scientific advancement.
  I urge you to join me by cosponsoring this legislation to require 
research substantially funded by the Federal Government to be 
ineligible for copyright protection, and thus available in the public 
domain.

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