BIO Names Rep. Bob Goodlatte a Legislator of the Year

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 28, 2004) - As part of its annual Legislative Day event, the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) has named Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) as a 2003-2004 "Legislator of the Year." The award will be presented today during a constituent meeting with biotech executives.

"As chair of the House Agriculture Committee and co-chair of the House Biotech Caucus, Representative Goodlatte has been a steadfast champion of agricultural biotechnology," said BIO President Carl B. Feldbaum. "He has demonstrated a commitment to educating his colleagues on biotechnology and for resolving the European Union's moratorium on agricultural biotech products.

"Biotech has a very strong economic presence in the state of Virginia, and Representative Goodlatte continues to push for the industry's continued advancement in his state and on the national and global levels," Feldbaum added.

More than 200 congressional meetings with more than 150 biotechnology industry representatives are expected to be conducted on Capitol Hill during the BIO Legislative Day event. Among the planned topics of discussion: regulatory issues associated with agricultural biotech, tax incentives for biomedical research, funding threats facing emerging biotech companies, the risks associated with drug importation, Medicare coverage of off-label drugs, and animal and eco-terrorism.

BIO represents more than 1,000 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations in all 50 U.S. states. BIO members are involved in the research and development of health-care, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products.