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Articles By marci, page 1

Disrupting Lobbying Through Transparency

by marci on April 29, 2012

For many outside the startup world, the term "disruptive" may have negative connotations. It was not something you wanted on your report card. Certainly for two women -- one an Indian-born American and another a Southern girl -- being called "disruptive" is not something our grandmothers would have praised... until now. POPVOX co-founder Rachna Choudhry and I are in New York today to be officially named "disruptors" -- and we couldn't be more pleased!

The Tribeca Film Festival Awards for Disruptive Innovation

The Tribeca Film Festival Awards for Disruptive Innovation, founded by Craig Hatkoff, capture the spirit of Harvard Professor Clay Christensen’s work, as he described in The Innovators Dilemma. This year's awards recognize innovators from Rick Rubin of Def Jam Records; Jack Dorsey of Twitter; Rachael Chong of Catchafire; Kevin Carroll and Dan Strzempka, who built the prosthetic tail as seen in Dolphin Tale; Dr. Patricia Bath who is literally working to help the blind to see; to Justin Bieber and many more.

What is a "Disruption"?

The gist of Christensen's theory is that successful organizations that have been around for a while are less likely to innovate because they benefit from the status quo. Their success locks them into their demise, when a stealthier less-refined approach enters the market and offers a "just enough" or better/cheaper/faster alternative that first serves an unserved market and then encroaches on the existing market. "An innovation that is disruptive allows a whole new population of consumers access to a product or service that was historically only accessible to consumers with a lot of money or a lot of skill." For a deeper explanation, check out why customers "hire a milkshake."

Congress and Traditional Lobbying: The Business of Status Quo

So how did Rachna and I, a former nonprofit lobbyist and former Congressional staffer, start caring about disruption? A few years ago, we noticed that in our world -- not the corporate world, but that of advocacy, Congress, and civic engagement -- NO ONE was doing the task that was expected of them, and technology wasn't helping. The evidence wasn't exactly hidden. Congressional approval numbers were dipping and the "Tragedy of Political Advocacy" (h/t Jake Brewer) was an accelerating phenomenon. We observed several pain points that technology was exacerbating rather than improving:

-- Congress wants to hear from constituents (but technology made it easier to send barrages of messages with no qualification that they were from actual constituents -- or even actual people.)

-- Organizations, advocates, associations, and yes, big lobbyists, want to demonstrate popular support for their positions (but because messages were increasingly hard to process by Congressional offices and there was no independent measure of sentiment, their solution was to send more messages, be more inflammatory, YELL LOUDER.)

-- The people want to be heard and participate, but all the noise ginned up by the pros left them cynical and frustrated, and the unresponsive Congress made them feel ignored and disempowered.

Disruption through Transparency

We thought: what if you could build a platform where input to Congress -- from individuals and pros alike -- was verified, counted, and available to everyone? That would mean that Congress gets what it needs: real input from its constituents in a format that can be processed. The pros get what they need: a real read of what people are saying about issues, and proof that their grassroots efforts are not "Astroturf." And most importantly, the people get what they need: a transparent way to register their input that doesn't go away or disappear into the depths of a broken Congressional correspondence system. This creates a public record of public sentiment on the bills that affect our lives -- and for the first time a benchmark to measure what Congress hears from constituents with what Congress does. After much thought and wrangling, we decided to name this platform "POPVOX," from "vox populi," Voice of the People.

Count the Money or Count the People

It is a well-worn cliché to say that Washington runs on money in the form of political donations. While that is not far off, the true currency of Washington is information and public sentiment. Money just serves to disburse an idea, amplify a message, provide the resources to influence (and this election year, there may even be fewer places to spend it.) The starting theory at POPVOX is that there are two ways to influence legislation: (1) move money, or (2) move people. Our goal is to provide a transparent, qualified metric for what the people have to say regarding pending legislation. This gives Congress the tool it needs to listen and people the tools to ensure that Congress in fact does. The most powerful potential "disruption" of our political and advocacy system, however, is not dependent on any company or tool. It only comes with an engaged, involved public that is paying attention. We'll bring the tools, you bring your voice, and together we can bring about positive, creative disruption.

A few photos from the event
Bills Before Congress: April 23 - 27

by marci on April 22, 2012
From our Hill sources:

The House will consider several bills dealing with cybersecurity this week, while the Senate will spend much of the week on a bill to save the U.S. Postal Service.

Four cybersecurity bills in the House
The House will vote on four cybersecurity bills on Thursday and Friday.
- HR 3523 The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protect Act, from Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-MI-8), which would allow the government to share information with companies to help protect their networks. This was the fourth-most discussed bill on POPVOX last week.
- HR 4257 The Federal Information Security Amendments Act, from Oversight & Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA-49), is aimed at "improving the framework for securing information technology of federal government systems."
- HR 2096 The Cybersecurity Enhancement Act, from Rep. Mike McCaul (R-TX-10), is meant to foster coordinated research between federal agencies to help address cyber threats.
- HR 3834 The Advancing America's Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) Act, from Science, Space, and Technology Chairman Ralph Hall (R-TX-4), would reauthorize the government's NITRD cybersecurity program.
Bills in the Senate
The Senate will spend much of the week considering the Postal Service.
- S 1789 The 21st Century Postal Service Act (number 8 on POPVOX last week), is a bipartisan bill that would allow the U.S. Postal Service restructure its retirement payments in a bid to keep the USPS fiscally sound. Starting on Tuesday, the Senate is expected to start voting on up to 39 amendments to the bill.
- SJRes 36 The Senate is expected to hold a procedural vote on SJRes 36, a Republican resolution that disapproves of a 2010 ruling by the National Labor Relations Board meant to speed up union elections.
- S 1925 The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act should be debated later in the week.
- Highways Highway funding: Also look for the House and Senate to start reconciling their differences over federal highway funding. Last week, the House passed an extension of highway programs through the end of the fiscal year, HR 4348. In March, the Senate approved a two-year extension, S 1813.
Also in the House this week
The early part of the week for the House will be filled with several non-controversial bills. On Tuesday, the House will consider six bills dealing with federal land use:
- HR 1038 To authorize the conveyance of two parcels of land in the Coconino National Forest,
- HR 2050 The Idaho Wilderness Water Resources Protection Act,
- HR 2157 To facilitate a land exchange in the Inyo National Forest,
- HR 2497 To release the U.S. interest in land conveyed to establish an airport in Minnesota,
- HR 491 To modify the boundaries of the Cibola National Forest, and
- HR 2240 The Lowell National Historical Park Land Exchange Act.
And on Wednesday, the House will consider two others:
- HR 3336 The Small Business Credit Availability Act, which ensures the exclusion of small lenders from certain regulations of the Dodd-Frank Act, and
- HR 2146 The DATA Act, a bill aimed at increasing the transparency of federal spending.
Other noteworthy bills
- HR 4089 The Sportsmen's Heritage Act, the most-discussed bill on POPVOX last week, passed the House on April 17.
- S 2230 The Paying a Fair Share Act, the second-most discussed bill on POPVOX, failed to advance in the Senate last week. The bill would impose a minimum tax on all income above $1 million.
- HR 4170 The Student Loan Forgiveness Act sets up a program to ease the burden of student loans on students. This bill, the third-most discussed on POPVOX, is currently not being discussed in any of the committees to which it was referred.
Please keep in mind that highlighting a bill doesn't imply a POPVOX endorsement in any way. Rather, we're simply trying to offer one more way to stay informed of an overwhelmingly complex legislative system. (If you'd like this alert emailed to you directly once a week, please send Rachna an email at rachna@popvox.com.)
POPVOX Resources for Congressional Staff

by marci on April 19, 2012

We at POPVOX think a lot about Congress and the staffers that make Congress go. Recently, a Congressional office asked us to share best practices for using POPVOX in their work. The following slideshow demonstrates how staffers (and advocates) can use publicly-available POPVOX information to lead a legislative effort. (Staff also have access to some special district-specific tools and dashboards when they are logged in with a staff account.) How are YOU using POPVOX? Let us know!

POPVOX: Resources for Hill Staff
View more presentations from POPVOX
MID-WEEK UPDATE: What's up in Congress

by marci on April 18, 2012

From Hill sources:

Senate Democrats on Wednesday will begin work on the Violence Against Women Reauthorization act, S. 1925. The bill reauthorizes a program that enjoys bipartisan support, one on which Democrats in particular have been urging prompt action before the program expires at the end of 2012.

On Tuesday, the House approved a rule that deems passage of the House Republican budget resolution as having been passed by both the House and Senate. The GOP’s budget resolution for FY 2013, H.Con.Res. 112, was approved in late March, but went no where in the Senate. Republicans said they needed to “deem” Senate passage in order to establish budget guidelines that House committees will use to start work on the FY 2013 spending bills.

Other action on major bills:

H.R. 4089, the Sportsmen’s Heritage Act: passed by the House on Tuesday and now moves to the Senate. The bill expands hunting, fishing and sport shooting on federal lands.

S. 1789, the 21st Century Postal Service Act: the Senate advanced this bill Tuesday and will hold another procedural vote Thursday. The bill helps the U.S. Postal Service restructure retirement payments that have dragged the USPS into the red.

S. 2230, the Paying a Fair Share Act: the Senate failed to advance this bill on Monday, due to Republican objections. The bill would set a 30 percent minimum tax rate for people earning $2 million or more a year.
Bills Before Congress: April 16 - 20

by marci on April 16, 2012
From our Hill sources:

Both the House and Senate will take up tax bills this week, in honor of tax day (April 17 this year).

The Small Business Tax Cut Act (HR 9) is the House GOP proposal to reduce small business taxes by 20 percent. The House should start work on this bill by Wednesday. It is expected to pass by Thursday at the latest.

The Paying a Fair Share Act (S 2230) from Senate Democrats (i.e. the "Buffett rule") would require a minimum 30 percent tax on all income earned above $1 million. This was the fifth-most commented bill on POPVOX last week. Senate-watchers expect that the Senate will be limited to just debating this bill, given Republican opposition and the need for 60 votes to end debate. On Monday evening, the Senate will vote on a motion to proceed to the bill.

Transportation extension — This legislation (no bill number yet) would extend federal highway programs until September 30. Congress has authorized federal highway programs through June, but House Republicans are looking to pass another extension, plus language that would require approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline. The bill will be avialable on POPVOX when it is published to Thomas.gov.

The Sportsmen's Heritage Act (HR 4089) (the seventh-most talked about bill last week) would expand the ability of sportsmen to use firearms on land controlled by the federal government.

Suspension Bills

The House plans to take up four bills under a suspension of House rules, a process usually reserved for non-controversial bills.
1. Two would authorize congressional gold medals, one for famed singer and actor Lena Horne (HR 1815), the other for golfer Jack Nicklaus (HR 4040).
2. Two others celebrate historical figures: Mark Twain (HR 2453), and Raoul Wallenberg, who helped save Jews during the Holocaust (HR 3001).
Other Bills of Interest

Last week, CISPA, the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (HR 3523), was the top-trending bill on POPVOX. No votes are planned on this bill, but House Republicans could start the process of moving a cyber security bill in committee. This may also involve ideas found in the SECURE IT Act (HR 4263), which Republicans introduced just before the Easter break.

The second-most popular bill on POPVOX last week was the Military Readiness and Southern Sea Otter Conservation Act (HR 4043). This bill would allow Naval operations off the Southern California coast, even when otters are migrating through those waters. The House Natural Resources subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs will hold a hearing on this bill Thursday morning.

There are no signs of any movement for HRes 612, (number 10 on POPVOX last week), a resolution honoring the life of Trayvon Martin and urging repeal of Stand Your Ground laws.
CISPA Tops bills on POPVOX for April 5-12, 2012

by marci on April 12, 2012

Here's what people were telling Congress over the past week using POPVOX:

Weigh in on these bills

H.R. 3523: Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act of 2011

H.R. 4043: Military Readiness and Southern Sea Otter Conservation Act

H.R. 2657: Refuge from Cruel Trapping Act

H.R. 1259: Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2011

S. 2230: Paying a Fair Share Act of 2012

H.R. 4170: Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012

H.R. 4089: Sportsmen’s Heritage Act of 2012

H.R. 123: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make certain tax relief permanent, and to repeal the estate tax.

S. 2200: A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exempt certain family-owned farms and businesses from the estate tax.

H.Res. 612: Honoring the life of 17-year-old, Trayvon Martin, urging the State of Florida and others to repeal the Stand Your Ground law, and admonishing involved parties to pursue full investigations into all homicides, regardless of defenses asserted by the offender.

H.R. 696: Tax Relief Certainty Act of 2011

H.R. 1448: Federal Response to Eliminate Eating Disorders Act of 2011

H.R. 3359: Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act

H.R. 1327: Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act of 2011

H.R. 4214: Compound 1080 and Sodium Cyanide Elimination Act

H.R. 3467: Sensible Estate Tax Act of 2011

H.R. 177: Death Tax Repeal Act

H.R. 4122: Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act
Team Changes

by marci on March 14, 2012

Today POPVOX announces that co-founder Josh Tauberer, a pioneer in the world of open government, is moving onto a new phase in his work for government transparency. Since joining the team in July 2010, “Dr. T” has built a robust tool that closes the gap between citizens and Congress. While we will miss him, we are excited to watch him continue his work through GovTrack, consulting, public speaking, and the release of his new book, Open Government Data.

The entire team is extremely grateful for the talent and insight he has brought to POPVOX and wish him the very best!
Feb 13: President Submits Budget to Congress

by marci on February 12, 2012
On Monday, the President submits his official Budget request to Congress. The President's Budget is an outline, a proposal, a "this is how I would do it if I didn't have to go through Congress," version.

The Budget will be made is available online and literally delivered to the offices on Capitol Hill, where Congressional aides will begin scouring the language in preparation for the Budget hearings of the coming weeks.
1. The President's budget is not a bill. It will not be listed on POPVOX. Some Members of Congress may introduce parts of the budget as bills or some parts of the budget may already exist as bills.
2. Congress likely will not hold a vote on the President's budget. Usually the Budget Committees of both chambers introduce their own versions for a vote in Congress.
3. In December 2011, Congress passed an Omnibus spending bill that covers spending through fiscal year 2012. The budget submitted by the President would cover FY 2013, which begins October 1, 2012.
Updated at 12:05 pm ET to reflect that Budget is now avialable.
PAYROLL TAX CUT EXTENSION: Where Will Congress find the Pay-Fors?

by marci on January 30, 2012

Will the Conference Committee tasked with hammering out an agreement on extending the payroll tax cut end up as a “Super Committee 2.0”?

The question was posed by Felicia Sonmez in the Washington Post’s “2Chambers” blog -- and she has a point. Many of the players are the same (see below) and so is the task: find agreement on hundreds of billions in “pay-fors.”

The Payroll Tax Cut Conference Committee must find savings or cuts to finance extending the payroll tax cut, unemployment benefits and the “doc fix,” to stave off almost 30% automatic cuts to physicians paid by Medicare. The overall package is expected to require approximately $170 billion.

POPVOX users have some ideas on where those savings could come from, based on input on proposals to the original Super Committee (the now-defunct Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction.) The POPVOX tech and design team ran the numbers and created this infographic showing which of proposed deficit reduction measures garnered the greatest bipartisan support from POPVOX users. Consider it a “menu” as conference members return to the table on February 1 and attempt to reach agreement before their February 29 deadline.

The infographic is the result of great work by our design and tech team: CTO Josh Tauberer analyzed the data while William Donnell and Shane Aday of Sodium Halogen made it beautiful and functional.

Members of the Payroll Tax Conference Committee

Senate Democrats: Max Baucus*, Jack Reed, Ben Cardin, Bob Casey

House Republicans: Dave Camp*, Nan Hayworth, Tom Price, Renee Ellmers, Kevin Brady, Fred Upton*, Tom Reed, Greg Walden,

Senate Republicans: Jon Kyl* John Barrasso, Mike Crapo

House Democrats: Xavier Becerra*, Sander Levin, Allyson Schwartz, Chris Van Hollen*, Henry Waxman

*Also served on the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction (Super Committee)
What Congress Heard from Florida

by marci on January 28, 2012
As we enter the week of the Florida Primary, we decided to take a look at what people in Florida have been telling Congress through the POPVOX system. Many of the bills that make the Florida list are similar the Top 50 bills overall, though some interesting things stand out:
1. Greater support in Florida for H.R. 2 "Repealing the Job-Killing Health Reform Law," with 69% support in Florida and 59% support overall.
2. A similar division on H.R. 3, the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion" bill at 68% support in Florida compared to 56% support nationwide.
3. An even split on opinion in Florida for H.R. 1116 the Respect for Marriage Act, which has 62% support nationwide but only 50% in Florida.
Input to Congress Turns from SOPA to Exotic Animals

by marci on January 28, 2012

For those wondering what would follow the record-breaking week of internet advocacy around SOPA (the Stop Online Piracy Act): the issue that brought the most activity in messages to Congress this week on POPVOX was the “Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act" H.R. 3359, pitting animal rights advocates against those who work with animals in traveling shows.

While H.R. 3359 moved fewer people than the over 10,000 who weighed in last week on SOPA using POPVOX, its opponents and proponents demonstrated similar passion. From January 20 to January 27, nearly 700 people weighed in on the Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act, 54% in support, 46% in opposition. While messages came in from constituents in every state and nearly every Congressional district, the most active was that of Vern Buchanan (R, FL-13), with thirty-six people weighing in (14% supported and 86% opposed).

The bill is pending in the House Agriculture Committee, chaired by Representative Frank Lucas (R, OK-3). Three constituents from Mr. Lucas’ district opposed the bill. None weighed in from the district of Ag Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-MN, 7).

The Top Five Trending Bills on POPVOX for the week of January 20 are:

1. H.R. 3359: Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act from Rep. James Moran [D, VA-8].
       1330 TOTAL, 678 for the week (53% support, 47% oppose)

2. H.R. 3814: To prohibit the Department of Justice from tracking and cataloguing the purchases of multiple rifles and shotguns, from Rep. Justin Amash [R, MI-3].
       595 TOTAL, 571 for the week (75% support, 47% oppose)

3. H.R. 3594: Second Amendment Protection Act of 2011, from Rep. Joe Walsh [R, IL-8].
       611 TOTAL, 596 for the week (89% support, 11% oppose)

4. S. 1973: A bill to prevent gun trafficking in the United States, from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand [D, NY].
       421 TOTAL, 400 for the week(29% support, 71% oppose)

5. H.R. 3261: Stop Online Piracy Act from Rep. Lamar Smith [R, TX-21]
       14,720 TOTAL, 383 for the week (3% support, 97% oppose)
House Agriculture Committee Considers Swaps Bills, Others

by marci on January 25, 2012
Today, the full House Agriculture Committee will consider six bills:
1. H.R. 1840, to improve consideration by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission of the costs and benefits of its regulations and orders.
2. H.R. 2682, Business Mitigation and Price Stabilization Act of 2011
3. H.R. 2779, to exempt inter-affiliate swaps from certain regulatory requirements put in place by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
4. H.R. 2586, Swap Execution Facility (SEF) Clarification Act
5. H.R. 3336, Small Business Credit Availability Act
6. H.R. 3527, Protecting Main Street End-Users from Excessive Regulation
POPVOX Tweets the State of the Union

by marci on January 24, 2012
Which Advocacy tactic is most effective?

by marci on January 19, 2012

People always ask: "What is the best way to get my message to Congress?".

We discussed this at length yesterday at the "Better Activism Day" Livestream, hosted by Clay Johnson at InformationDiet.com (see former staffers at 1:10:00 discussing this.)

We at POPVOX are working with Congress to ensure that messages sent through the POPVOX system are delivered in the best and most effective way possible. However, we know from our experience working in Congress that even POPVOX is not THE most effecive means of making your point to Congress. THAT is still reserved for in-person direct contact with the Member who represents you. This was borne out in a study conducted in 2010 by the Congressional Management Foundation on "Perceptions of Citizen Advocacy on Capitol Hill." (The study was conducted before POPVOX launched.)

Here's a slide of the CMF findings. (POPVOX would fall into the same category as an "individual email," if someone chooses to leave a comment.)

text updated to correct date of study (it was conducted in 2010.)
House Judiciary SOPA Markup May restart in Feb

by marci on January 17, 2012

Hat tip to Rosalind Wills via Twitter, who highlights the latest press release by House Judiciary Chairman, Lamar Smith, reported in TechDirt, stating that the markup of H.R. 3261, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), will ikely resume in February.

Check out the breakdown of Judiciary Committee members that we shared in December when the markup began. We will be updating...
"Better Activism Day" Jan 18

by marci on January 16, 2012
We're happy to participate in the InformationDiet.com's livestream of "Better Activism Day" on January 18 (which will be available on informationdiet.com/live.)

POPVOX is neutral - we don't take a position on bills, including SOPA or PIPA, but we are 100% on board with any effort to help people understand how Congress works and how to engage with the Congressional process.

From the announcement by Clay Johnson, author of "The Information Diet":

Better Activism Day: January 18

Jan 15, 2012 CLAY JOHNSON

On January 18th, the plan for some sites is to go dark in protest for SOPA/PIPA. The blackout is important -- it raises awareness and helps people get motivated to act on this bill -- and while it's on its last legs, I think the important thing in the long term isn't the particular defeat of this bill, but rather: how do we make Congress listen to citizens better. Now part of that is stuff you've heard before: better advocacy, transparency reforms, even campaign finance and money-in-politics solutions. But another part of that isn't so familiar: getting acquainted with how Congress works, and upping our own expertise to become better advocates. So in honor of the blackouts on the 18th, I'm holding a "Better Activism Day" with my friends at O'Reilly and PopVox. -- a livestream of experts, most of the day, who will talk about how to improve your power in Washington from people who've been successful at moving it. It's time we started getting some of the inside-the-beltway expertise outside of Washington. Here's the tentative agenda so far (all times are Eastern):
1. Intro by Clay Johnson: 15 Minutes (10-10:15)
2. Where SOPA/PIPA Sits in the Legislative Process (Ernesto Falcon - Public Knowledge) (45 Minutes) (10:15-11:00)
3. How A Bill Becomes a Law: Speaker TBD (1 hr.) (11:00-12:00)
4. I am a Lobbyist, Ask Me Anything (Andrew Shore - Jochum Shore & Trossevin) (1 hr.)(12:00-1:00)
5. How to Watch What Congress Does - Jeremy Carbaugh - Sunlight Foundation (2:00-3:00)
6. I Used to Answer the Phones at a Congressional Office - Ask Me Anything (1 hr.) (3:00-4:30)
7. Delivering Effective Messages To Congress - Marci Harris (4:30-5:30)
8. Closing: 5:30-6
I'm doing this because whether or not SOPA passes, one of the most dangerous problems we have in America is the disconnect between how people think Congress works, and how Congress actually works. The best way to prevent things like SOPA from happening is to make online activists smart. And I hope that if you find the program I'm setting up to be useful to you, then you'll consider buying a copy of my book, though that's certainly not required for admission.I'm still ironing out the details, so if you have anything you want to add, or anybody here in DC you'd like to see, please let me know. Mark your calendars -- it will be streamed starting at 10am on the 18th on informationdiet.com/live (which isn't quite live yet), and of course you can have the embeds to put on your own websites as well.
Issa Press Release: "SOPA Not Headed to House Floor, OGR hearing postponed "

by marci on January 14, 2012

We just received the following press release issued by Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Darrell Issa. We can't find the link up yet online, so given the interest in this bill by POPVOX users, we are posting here. See links below to weigh in on the bills mentioned in the release.

Sent: Saturday, January 14, 2012 01:16 AM

Subject: Press Release -- SOPA Not Headed to House Floor, OGR hearing postponed

Issa: Flawed SOPA Bill Not Headed to House Floor

OGR hearing planned for Wednesday postponed following assurances, removal of DNS provisions

Washington, DC – House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa today announced that a hearing scheduled for Wednesday, which was to examine the impact of Domain Name Service (DNS) and search engine blocking on the Internet, has been postponed following assurances that anti-piracy legislation will not move to the House floor this Congress without a consensus.

"While I remain concerned about Senate action on the Protect IP Act, I am confident that flawed legislation will not be taken up by this House. Majority Leader Cantor has assured me that we will continue to work to address outstanding concerns and work to build consensus prior to anyanti-piracy legislation coming before the House for a vote,” said Chairman Issa. “The voice of the Internet community has been heard. Much more education for Members of Congress about the workings of the Internet is essential if anti-piracy legislation is to be workable and achieve broad appeal.”

"Earlier tonight, Chairman Smith announced that he will remove the DNS blocking provision from his legislation. Although SOPA, despite the removal of this provision, is still a fundamentally flawed bill, I have decided that postponing the scheduled hearing on DNS blocking with technical experts is the best course of action at this time. Right now, the focus of protecting the Internet needs to be on the Senate where Majority Leader Reid has announced his intention to try to move similar legislation in less than two weeks."

Chairman Issa intends to continue to push for Congress to heed the advice of Internet experts on anti-piracy legislation and to push for the consideration and passage of the bipartisan OPEN Act, which provides an alternative means for protecting intellectual property rights without undermining the structure and entrepreneurialism of the Internet. Learn more about Rep. Issa and Sen. Ron Wyden’s alternative the OPEN Act at www.keepthewebopen.com

###

The PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) S. 968: Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011

S. 2029: Online Protection & Enforcement of Digital Trade Act (OPEN Act)
Committee Spotlight: House Judiciary Committee and SOPA

by marci on January 13, 2012
Given that H.R. 3261, the Stop Online Piracy Act, was the most active bill on POPVOX this week, we decided to crunch some numbers related to the committee of jurisdiction on the bill. The House Judiciary Committee is currently considering the bill in a "mark-up", which began in December and is set to resume next week when Congress returns.

Below is a chart of the input that Judiciary Committee members have received from their constituents through the POPVOX system.

A few observations:
- Every committee Member has received messages from their constituents regarding SOPA using POPVOX.
- Sentiment in every district is majority opposition (of sentiment registered on POPVOX.)
As we always emphasize, POPVOX is not a poll. It is simply a sample of what Congress is hearing from constituents. The messages that are counted on POPVOX have been received by these Members through their official correspondence systems. (See: How We Deliver Messages). POPVOX brings transparency, efficiency, and accountability to that system.
Opponents of SOPA most active this week

by marci on January 13, 2012

FRIDAY UPDATE: The Stop Online Piracy Act (H.R. 3261), better known as “SOPA” brought the most messages to Congress in the second week of 2012 on POPVOX.

From January 7 to January 13, over 850 people sent a message to their Congressperson regarding SOPA, bringing the total on POPVOX to just over 6,000 with 98% opposing the bill. Messages came from users in every Congressional district.
Protesting SOPA? Turn your website into an action center.

by marci on January 12, 2012

Whether you are a SOPA supporter or plan to join the Anti-SOPA blackout on January 18, you can turn your website or blog into an online action center by using free widgets from POPVOX.

The POPVOX Write Congress widget lets your visitors send a message to their member of Congress without leaving your site.

A POPVOX Comment stream widget streams comments directly on your site so you can see what others are saying.

Or just pick up a POPVOX "button" to link to the bill action page and show a real-time POPVOX sentiment tally.

POPVOX widgets are customizable for any bill, any position. So whether it is SOPA, PIPA, NDAA, or any other abbreviation... just pick up the code, and build your movement.

View the widgets in action on the POPVOX Tumblr page.