Bucks County Herald – May 10, 2007

Jim Greenwood Bio Technology

Dear Friends,

Good morning. Why would anyone want to leave congress? Jim Greenwood, Bucks County’s popular moderate Republican congressman did just that three years ago. And the eighth congressional district has been in turmoil ever since.

Greenwood’s political profile matched his district perfectly...conservative fiscally and moderate on social issues. On taxes, Greenwood opposed red ink and federal deficits but supported a woman’s right to an abortion and embryonic stem cell research. Mike Fitzpatrick, Greenwood’s successor, lost to Patrick Murphy, a Democrat, partly because of the district’s unhappiness with President Bush and the war in Iraq...but mostly because Fitzpatrick opposed abortion and embryonic stem cell research.

At least, that’s how I saw it.

Greenwood could have stayed in congress forever. He’s only in his 50’s and many thought (including me) that he’d be the logical successor to Senator Arlen Specter someday. So why did he quit?

After 12 years in the state legislature and 12 years in congress, Greenwood answers the question this way. “Some say that I sold out,” he began. “I started as a Wood School counselor for $2.50 an hour before I entered public service. But I still have a ‘save the world mentality.’ I think we should follow our hearts and the world takes care of itself.”

Today, Greenwood is the President and CEO of BIO in Washington. BIO stands for Biotechnology, a trade organization, comprised of 1,100 members. Seven hundred of them fall into three categories: health care, food and agriculture, and bio engineering. Ethanol comes to mind. The remaining members are universities and science centers. Greenwood visited 87 different cities, plus trips to France and Italy in his first year on the job.

He told me that he got the position because BIO was looking for an advocate, a spokesperson, someone who could manage an organization, and someone passionate about the issue. “We envision a world free of disease, free of hunger, and free of pollution,” he began. That’s vintage Jim Greenwood.

He predicted that science would reduce debilitating and fatal diseases within 20 years. Greenwood told me that there are 30,000 diseases and therapies for 10,000 of them. “The future looks good,” he continued. “In every new born child, we’ll be able to sequence his genome. We’ll identify what his predisposition for disease will be. And we’ll shoot the evil gene down.

“The problem is the cost of the research,” Greenwood added. “That’s why drugs are so expensive.” He realizes that congress wants to drive the price of prescription drugs down. “My message to congress people is that when you make policy, please don’t make it more attractive to invest in MacDonald’s [stock] than bio tech [stocks]. If you [congress] think that cures are more important than lipstick, don’t build roadblocks to the pharmaceutical industry. If you do, in the long run, you won’t get the miracle drugs.”

I asked Greenwood who are the opponents of the biotech industry? “They come from both the left and the right,” he replied. “On the right, there are those who are opposed to embryonic stem cell research for religious or ethical reasons. But we need to study those cells in order to create medicines and build replacement parts [for organs which fail us].

“On the left, there are those opposed to bio genetically modified organisms in agriculture [both in plants and animals]. These are people who claim that we’re playing with Mother Nature. But that’s far from the truth.”

Greenwood predicts that the next U.S. President won’t veto embryonic stem cell research legislation as President Bush has done. And my prediction is that Patrick Murphy will win his reelection bid if he doesn’t vote for increases in taxes and doesn’t appear to be anti business. Murphy should have a long career if he can emulate Greenwood’s profile.

But I stray.

“We’re looking for the Holy Grail,” Greenwood concluded. “The fun thing is learning the science. We want to discover how to prevent disease from occurring in the first place.”

I have no doubt that Greenwood will succeed. Let us pray that his passion for discovery and his good health continues for another 24 years.

Sincerely,

Charles Meredith