Conservative groups have sent House Speaker John Boehner, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid a letter expressing their opposition to House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte's patent reform bill, H.R. 9 - the Innovation Act. The letter specifically says that H.R. 9 will "weaken American patents and the ability of innovators, particularly independent inventors, to secure their constitutionally guaranteed right to their inventions and discoveries." Later, the groups compare the bill to a cleaver, saying only a "scalpel" is needed when addressing patent revision legislation. Finally, they ask the leaders to keep the bill from reaching the floor of the House and Senate.