Redstate

By Leon H Wolf Posted in FEC — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

Just a heads up to let you all know where the Online Freedom of Speech Act currently stands in the Senate. Majority Leader Frist has attached it as an amendment to the Lobbying Reform Bill, which is a good tactic to make sure it gets out of committee. Frist's statment can be found here, and he should be applauded for his efforts in conjunction with getting the Act to the floor.

This action, of course, raises its own set of concerns. Many conservatives, having seen the horror that BCRA wrought, are understandably and justifiably skittish about another regulatory industry popping up to "oversee" the election process. Personally, my feeling is that "Lobbying Reform" is a bad idea, will have a bunch of unintended consequences, and furthermore would be wholly unnecessary if Congressmen could follow basic ethical guidelines. That being said, "Lobbying Reform" is a very popular idea in Congress (if nowhere else), and it may well be unstoppable from a legislative standpoint.

Nonetheless, my hope is that once the bill makes it through the committee, the Online Freedom of Speech Act will be pulled to the floor as a separate measure, so that it is not tied to the ultimate success of the "Lobbying Reform" bill.

Consider sending Majority Leader Frist a note thanking him for his support, and asking him to separate the Online Freedom of Speech Act from the "Lobbying Reform" bill when it reaches the Senate floor.