Somewhere I read that the NIH, Medline, and open access came about in the mid-90s and was somehow the result of efforts by Al Gore. Does anyone know? That could be a powerful symbol if they are trying to do away with one of the nobler works of their own party.

And it would be interesting to know who will benefit the most. Perhaps the specter of a patient movement to keep this vital info open and free would give both politician and CEOs pause. It is far more than just PWP, of course. Anyone with a life threatening disease will be harmed.

The argument can be made that if they rely on tax dollars for even part of their funding, then there is a debt to society. That goes far beyond a given project. If the researchers got their education at a government funded school and with a student loan guaranteed by the government, that's our money. And as for the poor, poor publishers, are they willing to print only those reports that don't rely on government funds? Including prior research?

How about a line of wheel chairs outside their offices protesting the concept of "Limited Access"?