A cluster bill that could've destroyed internet free speech

Would you let the politicians destroy internet free speech by clustering unrelated bills?

Section 230 of federal communications law protects free expression on the internet, while also allowing people to moderate their own sites as they see fit. In other words…

Section 230 simply affirms the First and Ninth Amendments.

So there should be no controversy, right? Well…

There are plenty of special interests who also want to regulate the internet so as to strangle competitors or to silence the speech of groups they dislike.

Politicians don’t care much about freedom. They seem to enjoy being involved in absolutely everything.

Fortunately, free expression is popular with most people. Politicians must tread carefully when it comes to regulating the internet. Which is why…

Sen. Roger Wicker, a Republican from Mississippi who is the chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, needed to be sneaky. He wanted to repeal Section 230. And Trump was willing to cooperate, on his way out the door. But both men knew they couldn’t do it with a direct assault. That’s why…

The Republicans threatened to add-in their Section 230 repeal to a defense spending bill that was sure to pass.

This kind of clustering is exactly what our One Subject at a Time Act (OSTA) is designed to prevent.

Maybe you even want to see a repeal of Section 230. But if representation means anything, such a repeal proposal should stand or fall on its own merits, instead of being clustered into an unrelated bill just because it’s sure to pass.

Alas, there are plenty of newspaper industry lobbyists working against Section 230, but no citizen-based lobbyists working to protect it. Our strategies of The 300 and Option Activism are designed to impact this imbalance. Please participate!

End bill clustering via OSTA

Also, Downsize DC runs on a lean budget. It’s made possible, primarily, by modest monthly pledges. We seek one-time contributions. But our 2021 plans require new pledgers right now. We provide several options by which you can contribute or start a monthly pledge.

More soon!

Jim Babka, President
Agenda Setters by Downsize DC

Today’s Action: Use OSTA to save free expression on the internet