[Pharm-policy] Conference on Africa Trade bill

[James Love]

Subject: From Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS report

#1   COMPULSORY LICENSING:  CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ACTION EXPECTED
      ON AFRICA TRADE BILL
      Senate Finance Committee Chair William Roth (R-Del.), House
Ways and Means trade subcommittee Chair Philip Crane (R-Ill.) and
Ways and Means ranking member Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) launched a
campaign yesterday to hash out a compromise on the House and
Senate versions of the  Africa-Caribbean Basin Initiative trade
bill, CongressDaily reports.  Although both chambers have
approved versions of the bills, enactment has stalled over
textile and labor issues.  Roth said that he is "confident we
will find a way to conference," and Crane said the bill's final
passage would come in March, adding that he is "guardedly
optimistic" about its outcome.  Attempting to head off criticism
of the measure, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) said that "debt
relief, issues of war and peace in Africa and helping African
countries cope with the HIV/AIDS epidemic are not 'issues for
this bill'" (Hagstrom, CongressDaily, 2/9).  The Senate version
of the Africa Trade Bill includes Sen. Dianne Feinstein's (D-
Calif.) compulsory licensing agreement, which would guarantee
access to inexpensive generic AIDS drugs for African nations
(Kaiser Daily Report, 11/19).



James Love, Consumer Project on Technology    
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