Following Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic damage throughout Florida’s gulf coast, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) met with the Florida Farm Bureau as well as local agricultural producers, farmers, and growers to discuss the storm’s impact. Photos are courtesy of...
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Photos: Rubio Visits Barrier Islands Post-Hurricane Helene
Following Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic damage throughout Florida’s Gulf Coast, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) met with local officials and volunteers from the barrier islands to discuss the storm’s impact and current recovery efforts. Photos are courtesy of...
Rubio, Scott, Florida Colleagues to POTUS: Expedite Resources to Floridians
Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm, causing catastrophic damage along Florida’s Gulf Coast. It’s crucial for the federal government to expedite state-requested resources and authorize key policy flexibilities in order for Floridians to make a swift...
Rubio Staff Hosts Hurricane Helene Recovery Assistance
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) office will host two in-person events to assist constituents affected by Hurricane Helene and help navigate applications for FEMA assistance. Food, water, and additional resources will be available at the events. Event...
Next Week: Rubio Staff Hosts Mobile Office Hours
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) office will host in-person and virtual Mobile Office Hours next week to assist constituents with federal casework issues in their respective local communities. These office hours offer constituents who do not live close to one of...
Rubio, Scott Urge FEMA to Expedite Hurricane Reimbursements
Following the impacts of Hurricanes Helene and Debby, some local governments in Florida face looming budget shortfalls that could disrupt disaster recovery efforts. If these local governments receive reimbursements for past hurricanes from the Federal Emergency...
Rubio, Colleagues Introduce Legislation To Protect Intellectual Property Rights Of Vaccine Manufacturers
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the No Free TRIPS Act. The bill would prevent the Biden Administration from interfering with the intellectual property rights of vaccine manufacturers through Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waivers.
“American companies worked at lightning speed to develop safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines,” Rubio said. “A TRIPS waiver would strip incentives for American drug manufacturers to step up when we need them to. This bill would protect the intellectual property of American companies and ensure that neither the Chinese Communist Party nor the Kremlin can claim American vaccines as their own.”
“President Trump’s Operation Warp Speed proved the life-saving capabilities of the private sector, but for some reason the Democrats are on a mission to stop this innovation in its tracks,” Blackburn said. “I am leading the charge to stop Joe Biden’s plan to waive the intellectual property rights of vaccine manufacturers. Without the power of free market innovation, we will lose any chance we have at successfully managing another global public health crisis.”
Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and Mike Lee (R-UT) are also original cosponsors.
Specifically, the No Free TRIPS Act would:
- Protect intellectual property of American vaccine manufacturers
- Encourage American innovation and production
- Ensure countries such as China or Russia are unable to claim American vaccines as their own