Rep. Ted Deutch (FL-19) released the statement below in response to concerns over the Stop Online Piracy Act. In the coming weeks, he will be convening a round-table with leaders of local Internet start-ups in South Florida and other technology industry stakeholders to discuss the issue in more detail. 

"Technology and internet startups have driven innovation and created countless new jobs, and advancing the industry is vitally important to me as the representative of the congressional district where the first personal computer was built. Likewise, the music, media, and entertainment industries are also vital to South Florida's economy and promote American culture throughout the world. Protecting the internet and stopping foreign trafficking of illegal products and content are not mutually exclusive goals. I will not support any legislation that violates our constitutional rights or prevents the development of the next great technology. I remain committed to working with my colleagues in Congress, and, more importantly, with my constituents and others impacted by our actions, to find the best way to crack down on the trafficking of illegal merchandise on the web while preserving our Constitution. And I will never support censorship."