[Ip-health] "Fair and Balanced" Trade Amendment Passes House

[Flynn, Sean M.]

The House unanimously approved an amendment to the Science-State- Justice-C=
ommerce Appropriations bill introduced by Congressman Henry A. Waxman (D-Lo=
s Angeles) and Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) designed to increase a=
ttention to public health concerns in trade policy.  Lee and Waxman's amend=
ment will block the use of Science-State-Justice-Commerce funds for Industr=
y Trade Advisory Committees (ITACs) 3 and 15, which advise the U.S. Trade R=
epresentative on pharmaceutical and intellectual property negotiations, unl=
ess their membership is "fairly balanced" as required by the Federal Adviso=
ry Committee Act.

 Press Release from Congresswoman Barbara Lee
Ninth Congressional District of California
U.S. House of Representatives


PRESS RELEASE
 For Immediate Release  Contact:  Nathan Britton
6/29/06 (202) 225-2661




Waxman-Lee "Fair and Balanced" Trade Amendment Passes House



(Washington, DC)  -  The House unanimously approved an amendment introduced=
 by Congressman Henry A.Waxman (D-Los Angeles) and Congresswoman Barbara Le=
e (D-Oakland) designed to increase attention to public health concerns in t=
rade policy during debate last night on the Science-State- Justice-Commerce=
 Appropriations bill.

"If the only formal advisors for our trade representative are representativ=
es from the pharmaceutical industry, the policy will be biased toward indus=
try and will overlook serious public health concerns," said Lee.  "This ame=
ndment will help make sure that our trade policy is both fair and balanced =
by ensuring that it is informed by advice from public health experts."

Lee and Waxman's amendment will block the use of Science-State-Justice-Comm=
erce funds for Industry Trade Advisory Committees (ITACs) 3 and 15, which a=
dvise the U.S. Trade Representative on pharmaceutical and intellectual prop=
erty negotiations, unless their membership is "fairly balanced" as required=
 by the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

"The status quo is unacceptable," said Waxman. "The longer the USTR delays =
adding public health representatives to these panels, the more we need to b=
e concerned about biased advice that is resulting in controversial trade po=
licies."

In December 2005, the Administration acknowledged the need for more diverse=
 input on these issues.  The International Trade Administration issued a Fe=
deral Register notice seeking nominations for public health and community h=
ealth representatives to serve on ITACs 3 and 15.  However, more than six m=
onths have passed, and despite receiving a number of applications and congr=
essional inquiries, no appointments have been made.



According to Waxman and Lee, recent free trade agreements have reflected th=
e influence of the pharmaceutical industry at the expense of public health =
concerns.  The FTAs have extended patent terms and delayed generic competit=
ion - moves that increase profits for drug companies, but make it more diff=
icult for governments to respond in the case of a public health crisis.

For example, Thailand has initiated a program of universal access to govern=
ment-subsidized antiretroviral drugs that now reaches 70,000 of 170,000 Tha=
i people living with HIV/AIDS.  There is strong concern, however, that the =
future costs of expanding treatment with newer patented medicines will be p=
rohibitive if provisions included in recent FTAs are included in the pendin=
g trade deal with Thailand.

###



Nathan Britton

Communications Director

Office of Congresswoman Barbara Lee

1724 Longworth House Office Bldg.

ph 202 225-2661

fax 202 225-9817

Jamila Thompson
Office of Congresswoman Barbara Lee
1724 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-2661
Fax: 202-225-9817