January 9, 2012
WASHINGTON – Wisconsin’s First District Congressman Paul Ryan released the following statement regarding H.R. 3261, the Stop Online Piracy Act:
“The internet is one of the most magnificent expressions of freedom and free enterprise in history. It should stay that way. While H.R. 3261, the Stop Online Piracy Act, attempts to address a legitimate problem, I believe it creates the precedent and possibility for undue regulation, censorship and legal abuse. I do not support H.R. 3261 in its current form and will oppose the legislation should it come before the full House.”
YOWZA! My brain is completely mush as a result of agreeing with Paul Ryan! According to the Daily What-Geek, I have the interwebz and Reddit to thank for getting to Ryan.
(And Geeks. Much love to the GeekArmy)
Last month, Redditors started a boycott that forced GoDaddy to drop its support for SOPA, and over the past two weeks, they’ve turned their attention to specific members of Congress. Ryan was at the top of the list.
Reddit users launched “Operation Pull Ryan,” which helped Ryan’s opponent, Rob Zerban, raise $15,000 in 48 hours, and they even got Zerban to visit the site for a question and answer session.
Ryan hasn’t explicitly said that Reddit convinced him to change his position, but Zerban believes that’s the case.
“This is an extraordinary victory. Reddit was able to force the House Budget Chair to reverse course – shock waves will be felt throughout the establishment in Washington today – other lawmakers will take notice,” he wrote on Reddit.
[dailydot]
