Congress Proceeds in Neutrality Battle (How You Can Help)
What's happening in Congress?
Congress is now considering a major overhaul of the Telecommunications Act while the huge telecommunication companies are trying to confuse comsumers about Net Neutrality with a "Hands Off the Internet" campaign. The purpose is to cloud the issues and appear to be supporting consumer rights.
Do not be deceived, the Telecommunication Act reforms are anti-consumer.
On June 8, the House of Representatives passed the COPE Act (H.R. 5252) which would have destroyed consumer protection.
In the Senate, the Senate Commerce Committee reclassifed COPE, authored by Senator Stevens of Alaska, as the "Advanced Telecommunications and Opportunities Reform Act" (HR.5252) to speed it to conference committee should it pass.
In a panic and seeing momentum gaining towards defeating his bill, Senator Stevens has begun e-mailing his colleagues with telecommunications propoganda designed to sway them to his side and pass COPE.
Senator Stevens is the head of the Commerce Committee. He is now emailing what he terms as a bipartisan poll which he claims is proof that American citizens love his legislation, the COPE Act, and do not want Net Neutrality.
He has reason to worry. The bill is due in the Senatore for a vote later this year. So far no amendments have been made to COPE however Senators are threatening to filibuster the legislation until Net Neutrality is incorporated in the bill.
This has been tried already. On June 28th, the Snowe-Dorgan amendment to COPE (HR.5252) preserving net neutrality. Their effort was termed the Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2006 (S 2917). Unfortunately it failed in the Commerce Committee (chaired by Stevens) in a tie, 11-11, vote.
Stevens is desperate. The supposedly bipartisan poll he is circulating was paid for by Verizon and rigged by lobbyists whose clients include the major phone and cable companies.
Contact Congress today using http://action.freepress.net/campaign/savethenet ...all you have to do is fill in your name and address and your representatives will be automatically contacted.
Congress is now considering a major overhaul of the Telecommunications Act while the huge telecommunication companies are trying to confuse comsumers about Net Neutrality with a "Hands Off the Internet" campaign. The purpose is to cloud the issues and appear to be supporting consumer rights.
Do not be deceived, the Telecommunication Act reforms are anti-consumer.
On June 8, the House of Representatives passed the COPE Act (H.R. 5252) which would have destroyed consumer protection.
In the Senate, the Senate Commerce Committee reclassifed COPE, authored by Senator Stevens of Alaska, as the "Advanced Telecommunications and Opportunities Reform Act" (HR.5252) to speed it to conference committee should it pass.
In a panic and seeing momentum gaining towards defeating his bill, Senator Stevens has begun e-mailing his colleagues with telecommunications propoganda designed to sway them to his side and pass COPE.
Senator Stevens is the head of the Commerce Committee. He is now emailing what he terms as a bipartisan poll which he claims is proof that American citizens love his legislation, the COPE Act, and do not want Net Neutrality.
He has reason to worry. The bill is due in the Senatore for a vote later this year. So far no amendments have been made to COPE however Senators are threatening to filibuster the legislation until Net Neutrality is incorporated in the bill.
This has been tried already. On June 28th, the Snowe-Dorgan amendment to COPE (HR.5252) preserving net neutrality. Their effort was termed the Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2006 (S 2917). Unfortunately it failed in the Commerce Committee (chaired by Stevens) in a tie, 11-11, vote.
Stevens is desperate. The supposedly bipartisan poll he is circulating was paid for by Verizon and rigged by lobbyists whose clients include the major phone and cable companies.
Contact Congress today using http://action.freepress.net/campaign/savethenet ...all you have to do is fill in your name and address and your representatives will be automatically contacted.
