Opposition to the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act continues to grow in Congress, with 122 members having declared their opposition compared to 63 supporters as of Thursday evening, according to ProPublica. This is a dramatic upswing for the opposition, as on Wednesday the counts were 80 supporters and a meager 31 opponents.
ProPublica, an independent non-profit newsroom, determines the standing of each senator and member of Congress based on two factors: whether a member is a sponsor of the two bills, and the member"s voting record on the current bills" precursors and alternatives.
In the House of Representatives, opposition has grown to 100 opponents, compared to just 26 supporters. Unfortunately, the Senate still has more supporters than opponents, with a total of 37 to 22. In the Senate, PIPA needs 60 supporters out of 100 to pass, and a majority of two-thirds (67 votes) to prevent a veto from President Obama, should he choose to do so. If the current ratio of supporters to opposition remains constant for the rest of the senators, PIPA would pass.
ProPublica"s numbers as of 8:30pm CST, January 19, are as follows:
- Senate and House of Representatives: 63 supporters, 122 opponents
- Senate: 37 supporters, 22 opponents
- House of Representatives: 26 supporters, 100 opponents
- Democrats (Senate and House): 40 supporters, 55 opponents
- Republicans (Senate and House): 22 supporters, 67 opponents
- Independents: 1 supporter
Currently, Republicans have far more opponents than supporters of the bills, while the split on the Democrat side is a little closer. The sole listed independent, Senator Joseph Lieberman, is unsurprisingly listed under the supporting side.