Congressional opinions during the blackout
(St. Cloud, Minn)—During a day of online protest, U.S. Congressional representatives from South Dakota and Minnesota have taken varying positions on widely contested legislation regarding online piracy and the dynamic nature of the Internet.
![This is a copy, not a stolen object. [cc 2.0, Sheila Tostes, flickr]](http://thepegleg.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/pipa_flickr_cc_SheilaTostes.jpg "This is a copy, not a stolen object. [cc 2.0, Sheila Tostes, flickr]")
Three area co-sponsors of the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA; S 968) in the U.S. Senate have remained steadfast in their support, including original co-sponsors Al Franken (D-MN) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).
“He is in favor of the Protect IP Act,” a representative for Franken said from his Washington office Wednesday, adding, “This is a bill to give law enforcement the tools they need.”
“It isn’t going to create any additional penalties,” the staff member said.
Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) “wants to make sure its something that works for everyone,” according to a staff member in his Washington office.
Since October, when he sponsored the legislation, Johnson’s position has remained the same: skeptical but supportive, concerned that the law remains a “tool to prevent piracy as opposed to use for something else,” the staff member said.
The congressional phone operator in Klobuchar’s office claimed Wednesday that the Minnesota senator had “not taken a public position” on PIPA, though she has sponsored the legislation since its introduction last May. [The Peg Leg Update also has an information request filed with Brigit Helgen, Klobuchar's press secretary, but as of 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, no additional information was available.]
Senator John Thune (R-SD) had not taken a position concerning PIPA, a staff member in his Washington office said Wednesday.
The phone operator did comment that Thune’s office “had a lot of calls about [PIPA],” especially today, she said, when popular websites Wikipedia, Google, Craigslist, Mediafire, Wired and others shut off services or displayed protest messages against the bill and its House relative, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA; HR 3261).
House members representing all of South Dakota and Minnesota’s 6th district, which includes St. Cloud, have released cautious opinions to the public on SOPA.
A staff member in Michele Bachmann’s (R-MN) Washington office said the former Republican presidential candidate had “very strong concerns about government interference with the Internet.” A worker speaking for Kristi Noem (R-SD) said she was “aware of the wording and potential dangers that come with that piece of legislation.”
The phone operator in Noem’s office commented that, “Really, within the last 24 hours, this movement has started up and gained real steam.”
I had not mentioned anything about Internet blackouts or protests before asking Noem’s own representative about her position.
The Senate version of the intellectual property-protecting legislation is scheduled for a procedural vote next week, while the House bill is currently in a congressional hold.
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Update Update: This article is slightly different than its original version. I altered the piece to reflect Senator Klobuchar’s status as co-sponsor of PIPA, as well as making some stylistic changes.
Update Update 2: Friday morning, Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) postponed a Jan. 24 vote on PIPA. “In light of recent events, I have decided to postpone Tuesday’s vote on the PROTECT IP Act,” he said in a statement Friday morning. The press secretary for Sen. Amy Klobuchar also replied to my inquiry last night through email. This is Klobuchar’s latest statement on PIPA (as of Jan. 20): “This morning Senator Reid called off the vote because we need a better balance in any legislation that we consider. I will continue to work to address concerns that have been raised going forward.”
Who raised those concerns and what, in particular, a legislative balance is weighing in this case remains to be seen, heard, felt, etc.