Debbie Wasserman Schultz Supports Internet Censorship— Refuses to Drop Co-Sponsorship of the Stop Online Piracy Act
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Pembroke Pines, FL (January 23, 2012)— Debbie Wasserman Schultz is continuing her support for The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), a measure that as currently written would give the federal government the authority to shut down Internet websites and threaten free speech.
SOPA would permit the U.S. Department of Justice and copyright holders to obtain court orders against websites they accuse of enabling or encouraging copyright infringement, which would require search engines to stop linking to such sites and Internet service providers to block access to them.
This new authority amounts to a form of Internet censorship, and the legislation would have a chilling effect on free speech, particularly on social networking sites and blogging websites.
“For Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz to continue her support of SOPA after so many in Congress have dropped their support of this legislation proves that she is either dismissive of Americans’ right to freedom of speech, or perhaps she’s just too preoccupied with her “other” job to care to realize that she’s supporting a bill that gives the green light to government censorship,” said Karen Harrington, candidate for Congress in Florida’s 20th Congressional District.
“Debbie is one of far too many politicians in Congress who are more interested in furthering the agenda of well-monied interests and their lobbyists than they are with protecting your constitutional rights. I stand with countless numbers of concerned Americans in opposition to the Stop Online Piracy Act, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz should immediately withdraw her support from this dangerous legislation which will abridge our right to freedom of speech.”
