Blog: Why SOPA Won’t Pass

I have had enough with SOPA. What most people don’t seem to realize is that Congress is done with SOPA too.

No, they haven’t tabled the bill indefinitely. In fact, as of today it is scheduled to be brought up in the House Judiciary Committee again in February and no, they haven’t officially said they will make it their goal not to pass it. If you look at the numbers, you will see that these claims are just additional indicators that the bill is dead where it stands.

So far this session, the 112th Congress has passed 80 public laws in comparison to the 430 public laws that the 110th Congress put through during their session. These 80 bills have been essentials: not trivial bills for show. SOPA has not been deemed critical to improving the economy or creating jobs. Do you really think Congress is going to pass a controversial bill when they are essentially in a deadlock on things that keep our nation afloat?

“Don’t worry,” many people have said. “Obama will veto SOPA if it hits his desk.” When I hear this, my answer is simple: Obama will never be forced to decide if he should sign SOPA. The bill would have to survive committee and then pass in the House and Senate. Only around three percent of bills become laws and something with as much public animosity as SOPA stands no chance of coming out as a law. When our Congressmen and Congresswomen receive public opinion, they listen. They heard about SOPA long before this blackout was even planned.

This SOPA/PIPA protest is needless. I am glad people are sharing their opinions, but I would rather see the National Defense Authorization Act get a day where sites “go black” for what it stands for.

SOPA is heading nowhere, and getting there fast. In what Time essentially called “the year of protester” we need to shift focus to larger issues. Congress has passed almost no legislation and one of the few things that was passed took away habeas corpus. There are some more pressing issues on the table so let’s stop looking at the three percent stage and look at passed legislation that has defied the odds and made it past the three percent.