DeLauro, Slaughter, Schakowsky Statements On Leaked Intellectual Property Chapter Of Trans-Pacific Partnership

Press Release

ongresswomen Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) released the following statements today on the leaked Intellectual Property chapter of the Trans-Pacific Partnership:

"The leaked intellectual property chapter continues to reveal the concerns that we and our colleagues have raised over the substance of the Trans-Pacific Partnership," DeLauro and Slaughter said. "People who have access to this agreement recognize that this is a massive corporate give away to Big Pharma. We have seen from other leaked sources that industry lobbyists have been directly involved with writing portions of the trade agreement. Despite claims by the Administration that the text may change significantly, the Republican majority just voted to give away Congress's only source of leverage to improve the agreement by granting the Administration fast track authority.

"We should not sacrifice public health and access to affordable medicine at home and abroad in order to promote the financial interests of the world's largest pharmaceuticals," they continued. "The text proves that the Administration has essentially worked as a lobbying arm of Big Pharma, working to extend some of the patents and cripple the generic drug industry with unnecessary regulation. We will continue to demand that this agreement be released from the shadows into the light of day so that the American people can see what is being negotiated on their behalf, against their interest. We must defeat the TPP."

Schakowsky said: "This leaked information confirms what we'd all feared: as currently drafted, the United States is pushing on TPP nations, over their objections, to agree to a provision that would benefit multinational corporations and big Pharma at the expense of health care consumers here in the United States and around the world.

"Rather than promoting the objections of big Pharma, we should be working to lower drug prices. We should not be crafting trade policies that raise the cost of life saving medications by them by blocking competition from generic drugs. Enough is enough -- our negotiation position leads to responsible trade policies that put lives ahead of corporate profits."

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