I called Patrick McHenry’s office prior to the vote and specifically requested he vote to support internet freedom but again our elected representative has sold his vote to the big money donor, I’m guessing paying directly to him and his party, BOTTOM LI

I called Patrick McHenry’s office prior to the vote and specifically requested he vote to support internet freedom but again our elected representative has sold his vote to the big money donor, I’m guessing paying directly to him and his party, BOTTOM LINE, we have been sold out! Here is how I found out:

Dear David,

Your representative, Patrick McHenry, dealt a blow to Internet freedom on Thursday.¹

As millions of us raised our voices to defend the free and open Internet², Internet operators like AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast spent millions lobbying the House of Representatives to kill Net Neutrality. A majority of the House members caved—voting for a telecommunications law that would give these companies more control over what you see and do online.

All eyes are now on the Senate, which considers this issue next. We face a more friendly environment there, but we've got to act fast—the telecom lobbyists are working on every vote.

Can you call Rep. McHenry to express your outrage, and then call Senators Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr to demand support for Net Neutrality?

I have already done this, your turn now!

Here are the numbers:

Congressman Patrick McHenry
Phone: 202-225-2576

Senator Elizabeth Dole
Phone: 202-224-6342

Senator Richard Burr
Phone: 202-224-3154

Please click here to let us know you called and to share how it went:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1866&id=8021-4979943-33ilkF8nct1faX0PgaZ9BA&t=1

Tell your Senators to protect Net Neutrality by supporting the bipartisan Snowe-Dorgan Internet Freedom Preservation Act (S. 2917).

When you call your House member, let them know that when the free and open Internet is at stake, that's a serious issue—it affects everything. Voting for any bill that guts Net Neutrality is absolutely inexcusable.

Thanks for keeping the pressure on Congress as we fight to save the Internet.

–Eli Pariser, Adam Green, Noah T. Winer, and the MoveOn.org Civic Action team
Tuesday, June 13th, 2006

P.S. Here are the relevant votes:

(Vote tally: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll241.xml)

Markey Net Neutrality Amendment (A vote for Internet freedom was "Aye"):
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll239.xml

Bad overall COPE telecommunications bill without Markey Amendment that passed the House and gutted Net Neutrality (A vote for Internet freedom was "No"):
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll241.xml

Voting the wrong way on either or both was a vote against Internet freedom—for which members of Congress should be help accountable.

P.P.S. After you call Rep. McHenry and Senators Dole and Burr, are you still outraged?

The best way to fight back after calling Congress is to help expand the reach of our coalition. Ask 5 friends to join our fight for Internet freedom by signing our petition to Congress:

http://civic.moveon.org/save_the_internet/?id=8021-4979943-33ilkF8nct1faX0PgaZ9BA&t=2

If you are active in local organizations, ask them to join our coalition at:

http://www.savetheinternet.com/=coalition

Sources:

1) Vote tally on COPE telecommunications law (which guts Net Neutrality), June 8, 2006
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll241.xml

2) "House Turns Deaf Ear To Net Neutrality," WebProNews.com, June 9, 2006
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1867&id=8021-4979943-33ilkF8nct1faX0PgaZ9BA&t=3

Folks, let get active and take back our Congress from those who sell us out!