Russ Feingold: “I opposed the Communications Decency Act when it was first proposed in the U.S. Senate, because I believe this measure…”

“I opposed the Communications Decency Act when it was first proposed in the U.S. Senate, because I believe this measure would have a chilling effect upon communications transmitted over the Internet, and it would stifle the expansion of this important and exciting new communications vehicle. My concern was that the Communications Decency Act injected Government censorship into communications over the Internet that would not withstand a first amendment challenge and would be harmful to the development of technology to do what the proponents of the Communications Decency Act said they wanted to do, and that is to protect minors from exposure to pornographic material transmitted or made available on the Internet. I also joined the Senator from Vermont [Mr. Leahy] in introducing legislation to repeal this patently unconstitutional infringement of first amendment rights.”