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Advocacy Blog
Monday, November 07, 2005
Bill To Codify Internet Exemption Fails to Pass House
On November 2, the Online Freedom of Speech Act (H.R. 1606) was not agreed to in the House. On the calendar as a suspension, the motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill failed 225 — 182. (Suspensions must pass by a 2/3 vote). Sponsored by Rep. Hensarling, the bill would codify the FEC's current regulation, which was struck down by a federal judge, that exempted the Internet from the many prohibitions of the McCain-Feingold law.
The FEC exempted the Internet from the McCain-Feingold law, because they felt that Congress's omission of the Internet from the definition of “public communications” was not incidental and that Congress felt that the Internet should not be subject to the same restrictions that are applied to other public communications via McCain-Feingold.
Interestingly, in a recent House Administration hearing, most members present seemed to agree with the FEC. In the Rules Committee meeting which decided how this bill was going to be voted on, Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) pulled for the bill to be voted on as a suspension bill — because the bill would be so uncontroversial.
Little did they know that so many Members would object to it; Barney Frank (D-MA) on the fact that it was brought as a suspension, and Marty Meehan (D-MA) on its merits. Meehan argued that the bill would open the floodgates to unlimited corporate and union money being spent on Internet activities to benefit federal candidates and in coordination with federal candidates.
See the the bill
Posted by Jennifer Lowe
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