Help stop SOPA in the House

The House Judiciary Committee is marking up the Stop Online Piracy Act today, and it's such a hot topic that the mark-up could extend into Friday because there are so many amendments. But Chairman Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican, is committed to getting this bill out and to the floor for a vote, before a Congress that won't have had time to read and understand the bill.

There is no need to rush this bill. It needs to be stopped in the House. Please tell your Representative to vote no on this bill when it comes before the full House.

This bill is critical to the future of the internet and the very survival of sites like Daily Kos. The House is attempting to rush this bill through with the Senate waiting to act just as soon as they do. Even if some improvements are made in the House bill, and there are some potentially good amendments on offer in this mark-up, they could be lost in conference with the Senate. There are also some potentially pretty bad amendments that could be passed today.

The problem is, they're doing this so fast, without adequate hearings. Rep. Smith has already made changes to the bill that expert groups haven't had time to weigh in on, and he made those changes without expert testimony.

To make sure this legislation does not have disastrous unintended consequences, Congress should scrap it and restart the process in a more deliberate manner. Please, ask your Representative to oppose the Stop Online Piracy Act.