UPDATE 6:00 pm EST: Here’s what has happened today. We debated the rule this morning (after my colleague from Wisconsin, Tammy Baldwin, made a point of order to highlight the fact that this bill will cost local governments hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenues). But we “rolled” (which means delayed) the vote until this afternoon so the House could start debate on an unrelated appropriations bill. During our time on the rule debate, those of us who support net neutrality and oppose HR 5252 (you probably noticed that some Democrats support the bill) pointed out that the rule excluded from the debate most of the amendments that would require the telephone and cable companies to provide broadband internet access to all consumers in a non-discriminatory way. Here is a video of my speech:

Of course, the big amendment to watch during the debate on HR 5252 (which has just started) is the Markey net neutrality amendment. That vote will tell us who in the House of Representatives supports internet freedom and who’s willing to sell it off the big telcos. and cable cos. I gotta run. Sorry again for not being able to partake in the comment threads today. -LMS

Hi folks. I wanted to drop by and give you an update on "net-neutrality," before I go down to the House Floor right now.  We are going to debate the rule for H.R. 5252, "Communications Opportunity Promotion, and Enhancement Act of 2006" (COPE) Bill", the bill that deals with the issue of "net-neutrality."

This is a bill written by and for a limited number of telcom. companies such as AT&T and Verizon, that are already wildly profitable, so that they can make even more money. And how can we trust these companies' words considering the track record they have built up by allowing the Government to spy on average Americans. Here is yet another legislation that will benefit Republicans' corporate friends, while American people will end up bearing the costs by having to pay tolls for premium services in the information superhighway.  

The Rules Committee reported this bill out late last night shutting out (20 out of the 28) Democratic and bipartisan amendments that offered crucial corrections to a flawed bill that would have protected the needs of American consumers and citizens against the unchecked desires of some of our nation's largest and most well-connected companies. The Rules Committee Republicans voted down the net neutrality amendment offered by fellow DailyKos blogger, my esteemed colleague from Michigan Representative John Conyers.

Perhaps this makes sense, considering that what we have left is a bill that, without amendment, will radically undermine a technology that has been proven to embody the democratic ideals of our nation in a way few inventions ever have...I am of course talking about the internet.

This bill, if not amended, will bulldoze the dynamic "main street" style market-place that is our internet today... and would replace with one-size-fits all Wal-Mart Superstore.

This is what my Democratic colleagues and I talk about when we speak of an America that is for sale: assaults on democracy here in the House that ripple out and hurt Americans everywhere.

If you have time this morning please watch us on CSPAN this morning and see how the Republicans attempt once again to make a mockery of representative Democracy by attempting to pass a legislation that will do nothing to stop this Congress being sold out to their powerful special interests this time to their giant corporate friends such as AT&T & Verizon. The debate on the rule will probably get started around 10:30 am EST.

The debate on the bill itself will happen probably tomorrow morning.  I will do my best to keep you guys updated by posting later today or sometime tomorrow. Thanks so much again for your attention to this issue. This impacts all of us. -LMS