The Slow Destruction of American Innovation Commentary On Dec. 11, Sens. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.) sent a letter (pdf) to Andrei Iancu, director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, requesting an inquiry into whether “qualified women are unnecessarily excluded from membership in the ‘patent bar.’” In other words, is there a systemic, purposeful exclusion of women from practicing patent law? This “inquiry” is yet another in a line of attacks on American innovation and constitutional rights that have been occurring over the past decade. While this one is coming from the “woke” left, sadly the attacks are also coming from the right under the mistaken or misleading guise of promoting free markets and attacking monopolies.