NOTES FROM MICHAEL


Support the Proposed Law to Ban Gene Patents
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If you would prefer not to use our tool, here is the copy of the letter.

    Dear Senator:

    I write to draw your attention to a bill that is currently working its way through the House of Representatives. H.R. 977, the Genomic Research and Accessibility Act, which is sponsored by Reps. Xavier Becerra (CA-31) and Dave Weldon, M.D. (FL-15), would effectively and immediately end the devastating practice of patenting human genes.

    There is currently no companion bill in the United States Senate. As a constituent, it is my sincerest hope that you consider championing this critical piece of legislation that promotes business competition and increased access to academic research.

    When Congress decided to invest 3 billion into the Human Genome Project, the end goal was a greater understanding of human genetics and the proliferation of science. The incredible efforts by the international team of scientists and researchers who made up the HGP led to the discovery of over 35,000 genes.

    Hard to believe, but over 7,000 of those genes have been patented. To put it another way, 20 percent of the building blocks that make up you and me are owned by somebody else. The result has been the stagnation of genomic research, the implications of which can take us down the road to future life-threatening situations.

    This is a difficult issue to understand, but it is one that must be understood and explored. It is my hope that you will take the time to study it and then decide to introduce companion legislation to H.R. 977. To learn more about gene patenting, I would invite you to visit http://www.whoownsyourbody.org and http://becerra.house.gov/HoR/CA31/Issues/genepatents.htm.

    Thank you for your attention to this matter.

    Sincerely,




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