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--></style></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Arthur, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I would like to extend a humongous THANK YOU to all the CTC staff and activists who have been laboring so diligently on this for so many months. Thousands of lives will be saved every day that people around the world have access to vaccines. This includes people from countries around the world; people who are loved by their families and communities, and whose lives matter just as much as ours. And it also includes thousands of lives here in the United States, as we will be better able to prevent the hyper-infectious variants from massive circulation here at home. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Millions of lives will be saved because of the efforts of the CTC activists, without which so many Democrats would not have signed the letter, and without which the Biden administration would not have made this decision, at least not at this time. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>You are all heroes. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Of course, we will have a lot of hard work to do. We have to make sure that US support includes waiving IP on equipment & inputs needed for vaccines. And that it includes waiving IP on diagnostics and treatments, not just vaccines. And that it includes waiving IP on copyright on N95 masks, ventilators etc, which are all essential to end the pandemic. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>But advocacy work like this rarely ends in such a victory. I hope in the coming days we can connect the on-the-ground activists who have been laboring for this with some of the people whose lives and communities will be saved. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Deborah<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>From: </span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>CTCField <ctcfield-bounces@lists.citizenstrade.org> on behalf of Arthur Stamoulis <arthur@citizenstrade.org><br><b>Date: </b>Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 9:37 PM<br><b>To: </b>CTC Field <ctcfield@lists.citizenstrade.org><br><b>Subject: </b>[CTC] Biden’s Support for TRIPS Waiver “Unquestionably the Right Thing to Do"<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><b><i>THANK YOU everyone who pushed for this waiver! More work is needed to see it through, but today you achieved a massive victory for humanity.</i></b><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal>For Immediate Release<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Contact: Arthur Stamoulis, (202) 494-8826 or <a href="mailto:arthur@citizenstrade.org">arthur@citizenstrade.org</a><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Biden’s Support for TRIPS Waiver “Unquestionably the Right Thing to Do"</span></b><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Statement by Arthur Stamoulis, Executive Director, Citizens Trade Campaign<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Washington, DC — In response to<b> <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-05/u-s-to-back-waiver-of-vaccine-ip-protections-at-wto-tai-says">news that the United States is reversing its opposition rof a waiver</a></b> of intellectual property rules at the World Trade Organization so that COVID vaccines and treatments can be produced in as many places as possible as quickly as possible, Citizens Trade Campaign, which <a href="https://www.citizenstrade.org/ctc/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/COVIDTRIPSWaiverSignOnLetter_022621.pdf"><b>helped organize a 431-group letter in support of the waiver</b></a> earlier this year, released the following statement by its executive director, Arthur Stamoulis:<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div><blockquote style='margin-left:30.0pt;margin-right:0in'><div><p class=MsoNormal>"President Biden’s support for the TRIPS waiver is unquestionably the right thing to do for the world and the nation. More work is needed to make sure the waiver moves forward as effectively as possible, but this has a real potential to help save lives, strengthen the economy, improve international relations and eventually end this awful pandemic. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>"As long as large populations anywhere have to wait to be vaccinated, not only will are their lives at risk, but we continue to risk a viral mutation that can evade current vaccines and start the pandemic all over again for everyone. Our hope is that other opponents of the waiver quickly lift their blocks against it, and that speedy textual negotiations proceed to a final agreement that fully advances goal of the original proposal. COVID vaccines were developed with broad public support, and everyone worldwide deserves access to them.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>“President Biden’s willingness to support the waiver is a testament not only to his character, but to the excellent work of the hundreds of organizations and millions of individuals who urged this to happen."<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></blockquote><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>###<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Arthur Stamoulis<br>Citizens Trade Campaign<br>(202) 494-8826<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><br>_______________________________________________ The CTC-field list provides trade reform advocates with timely information for organizing field activists outside of Washington D.C. The list administrators prioritize postings based on current CTC field activities, the congressional agenda, and likelihood of actually mobilizing people into real action. Please contact the list administrator with any questions. The Citizens Trade Campaign (CTC) is a national coalition whose members include Americans for Democratic Action, Communications Workers of America, Friends of the Earth U.S., Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, Interfaith Working Group on Trade & Investment, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, National Family Farm Coalition, National Farmers Union, Pubic Citizen‚s Global Trade Watch, Sierra Club, UNITE HERE, United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society, United Brotherhood of Carpenters, and United Steelworkers, as well as regional, state, and city-based coalitions, organizations, and individual activists throughout the United States. 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