After Thursday’s 11-hour hearing on over 50 amendments to the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act, the House Judiciary Committee was expected to approve the sending of the unaltered legislation to the floor.
But, in an optimistic twist, today’s hearing was abruptly adjourned, with the future of the so-called “Internet Blacklist Bill” suddenly less certain.
Despite the act’s supporters in the Judiciary Committee outweighing its skeptics by a margin of nearly two to one, SOPA’s author, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), agreed to consider speaking with cybersecurity experts about the bill’s potential impact.
83 prominent Internet inventors and engineers recently published an open letter to Congress, insisting that both SOPA and its Senate counterpart PIPA “will risk fragmenting the Internet’s global domain name system (DNS) and have other capricious technical consequences.”
“NetCoalition is encouraged that Chairman Smith is considering the requests of many on the committee that additional hearings be conducted, particularly on the issue of Internet security, in order that the committee be fully briefed on the potentially serious and negative consequences that the proposed legislation would create,” said NetCoalition executive director Markham Erickson.
Though SOPA proponents appear to be softening their steadfastly pro-industry stance on certain issues, it remains likely that an amended bill will be approved as soon as the committee reconvenes, which could be as early as next week.
The Senate’s anti-piracy legislation left committee a while ago, and is expected to be voted on early next year.
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Obama’s Intractable Poll Problems
Japanese prime minister declares Fukushima nuclear plant stable.
Suspected WikiLeaks source Pfc. Bradley Manning has first day in court.
Colton Harris-Moore, the so-called “Barefoot Bandit,” sentenced to seven years in prison for two-year crime spree.
Chief prosecutor at International Criminal Court says Gaddafi’s assassination could be a war crime.
The Big Picture: 50 best photos from The Natural World.
Winning the war against “civility”
Guinness World Record judges measure 18-year-old Jyoti Amge, who, at 24.7 inches, is now officially the world’s shortest living woman.
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Wonder when Obama, Biden and the left will disown Jon Corzine? He really should be in jail with Bernie Madoff!
Chalk another victory up for the PC-obsessed left. And what gets me? That these representatives do not freaking fight this crap!
Looks like the PC police have threatened members of the House of Representatives against wishing constituents a “Merry Christmas,” if they want to do so in a mailing paid for with tax dollars.
Members who submit official mailings for review by the congressional franking commission that reviews all congressional mail to determine if it can be “franked,” or paid for with tax dollars, are being told that no holiday greetings, including “Merry Christmas,” can be sent in official mail.
“I called the commission to ask for clarification and was told no ‘Merry Christmas.’ Also told cannot say ‘Happy New Year’ but can say ‘have a happy new year’ — referencing the time period of a new year, but not the holiday,” said a Hill staffer who requested anonymity.
Another Hill staffer told The Washington Examiner that “we were given that advice after submitting” a draft mailing.