Sen. Blunt withdraws support of piracy bill

Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) became the latest lawmaker to reverse support for a controversial anti-piracy bill amid a massive Web protest against the measure.

“While I believed the bill still needed much work, I cosponsored the Senate version of the Protect IP Act because I support the original intent of this bill — to protect against the piracy of lawful content," Rep Blunt said. He claimed that Senate Republicans voiced concerns about the bill that he assumed would be addressed. "But unfortunately, Senate Leader Harry Reid [(D-NV)] is pushing forward with legislation that is deeply flawed and still needs much work," he said. “I continue to believe that we can come to a solution that will cut off the revenue sources for foreign websites dedicated to counterfeiting and piracy that steal American jobs, hurt the economy, and harm consumers," Sen Blunt said. "But the Protect IP Act is flawed as it stands today, and I cannot support it moving forward.”