Net Neutrality: Crunch Time In Senate!!

[Pachacutec]

We lost in the House, but we expected that.  The fight moves to the Senate, where the goal is to get the bill killed.  To do that, we MUST apply a lot of pressure on net neutrality, calling offices and writing local LTE's.

Thursday the Commerce Committee takes up the issue, and committe memebers will be prepared to vote by Thursday, even if debate takes a few days.  That means they are making up their minds NOW. 

The Committee will markup a bill on Thursday; last night the Stevens' staff released a revised draft of the Stevens telecom bill; new draft duplicates the COPE Act, prevents outright blocking web sites, prohibits network operator from attaching a legal device to the network;  Stevens bill fails to give us non-discrimination on the internet, so we will have toll booths on the internet;  Rich web sites will be able to buy 'supertier' access;  They are saying that there is a compromise, and it s movement in our direction, but the core issue is that it still guts net neutrality.  Don't let anyone tell you the Stevens' bill is a good one:  it's a travesty.  It will create a fast lane and slow lane; while consumers and entrepreneurs need nondiscrimination for new business growth and innovation.

Commere Committee members include some key votes who may ber persuadable:  John McCain, Kay Bailey Hutchinson, George Allen, Gordon Smith

There's also some hope it may become an antritrust issue if Judiciary takes it up:  for that, please apply pressure to Arlen Specter.

All senators need to hear from us on this issue, as the Committee will likely send something to the floor, and that's where we will need a goal line stand to kill this bill.  N time to hang back on this issue now:  we need to flood them.

Please consider calling your senator and writing LTE's to your local paper.  LTE's shold be concise, about three paragraphs in general.  Find your senate contacts here:  http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

Thanks!

Pach

[Pachacutec]

I know many people have been fighting the good fight, making calls, etc.  I just wanted to send out a reminder that tomorrow is the day when the Commerce Committee takes up the bill.  More calls will help, even if you've already called.  You can always call a local office if you've already called DC, or vice versa.  To protect the kind of organizing we're going in the Roots Project, it's in out interests to "flood the zone" if we can.

Thanks to all of you who have been fighting the good fight.  When we call, we're calling for each other, to protect what we're building.

http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

Pach

[Pachacutec]

From Christy This morning:  we may be close!!  One swing vote in Commerce Committee could kill the Stevens bill.  Don't just stick with home state senators anymore, if you're in this game.  Detailed information below:

http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/06/22/net-neutrality-crunch-time/

It's time to hit the phones, everyone.  I am told that the Senate Commerce Committee will be doing bill mark-up today, and that the net neutrality vote will be pushed off until probably Tuesday.

And that we are one vote short at the moment for killing the bill in the Committee.

Yep, that's right:  one vote.  So here are the Senators on the bubble:

John McCain (AZ): (202) 224-2235; Fax: (202) 228-2862

Trent Lott (MS): (202) 224-6253; Fax: (202) 224-2262

Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX): 202-224-5922; 202-224-0776 (FAX)

Olympia J. Snowe (ME): (202) 224-5344; FAX (202) 224-1946

Gordon H. Smith (OR): 202.224.3753; Fax: 202.228.3997

George Allen (VA): (202) 224-4024; Fax: (202) 224-5432

Bill Nelson (FL): 202-224-5274; Fax: 202-228-2183

Maria Cantwell (WA): 202-224-3441; 202-228-0514 - FAX

Frank R. Lautenberg (NJ): (202) 224-3224; Fax: (202) 228-4054

E. Benjamin Nelson (NE): Tel: (202) 224-6551; Fax: (202) 228-0012

Mark Pryor (AR): (202) 224-2353; Fax: (202) 228-0908

Please contact all of them and let them know how you feel about net neutrality. Please, if you are a resident of their state, make it a point to call or fax today, and every day, until the vote.

Here's the math on this: 

There are 12 Republicans and 10 Democrats on the committee…we need 12 votes to win.  If all the Dems (including Pryor and Ben Nelson) plus Snowe go our way, we are at 11…clearing the way for any one of Smith, McCain, Allen, Lott Hutchison to be the final vote that puts us over the top.

Here is a listing of the full committee membership, phone and fax numbers — we cannot take any vote for granted, so if you have the time, hit every member of the committee.

This is not a given, not by a longshot, but if we can kill this bill in Committee, that's a fantastic outcome for us.  So please, take some time today and make a few phones calls or send out some faxes.  Thanks so much!

PS — Things do not look good for Jane's mom this morning.  Please keep Jane and her family in your thoughts and prayers — they are going to need them over the next couple of days. 

UPDATE:  Thanks to reader Dune Messiah (great SF series, btw, if you haven't read any Herbert!) for the reminder on this.  You can call toll free at 1-888-355-3588 to the Capitol switchboard, and they will transfer you to any Senate or House office.  (Meant to include this in the post, but I just got off the phone with Jane and am still thinking about her and her family.)

UPDATE #2:  Per reader lotus (should have spelled this out clearly, sorry!) — you are FOR S. 2917, WITHOUT AMENDMENT (the Snowe/Dorgan bill).

On 6/19/06, Pachacutec <pachac...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Jan Goodrich]

Hey Pach, scrub Snowe off the "on the bubble" list a.s.a.p.  (Surely she's not, and it's confusing folks.)  Thanks!

 

lotus

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Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2006 10:43 AM

Subject: [Roots-FL] Re: Net Neutrality: Crunch Time In Senate!!

FromChristy This morning:  we may be close!!  One swing vote in Commerce Committee could kill the Stevens bill.  Don't just stick with home state senators anymore, if you're in this game.  Detailed information below:

[Pachacutec]

I'll check with Christy, and forward your note to her.  She's the author and the one doing the reporting, so I won't correct her work, as I'm not in the loop.

Thanks!

[Jan Goodrich]

Ah, she just explained why she's left it on, so consider me hushed.  But thanks so much for all you do, Pach.