Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA) was one of the most outspoken opponents of the Stop Online Piracy Act, and since that legislative battle, the California lawmaker has ramped up his involvement in internet issues and communities in stated support of a free and open internet. Now, he's proposing a big legislative time-out in the form of a moratorium on new internet regulations for the next two years. It's certainly a bizarre move considering that Congress typically doesn't vote away its ability to do its job, but it's a defensive tactic that could resonate with an internet audience that expressed concern about having to play whack-a-mole with bad internet laws following SOPA.

The bill, named The Internet American Moratorium Act (IAMA), is currently just a "discussion draft" — which means that it's got a long way to go before even being considered for a vote by Congress. The bill's provisions are extremely broad, and would pretty much put a stop to all internet lawmaking:

While it's unlikely that Congress will agree to give up its powers in this instance, it's clear that Reddit is becoming a high-value target for ambitious lawmakers: it's the second time this month that a member of Congress has submitted legislation to the community for feedback. That's certainly good news for Reddit's top brass, who kicked off an escalating series of political actions starting with SOPA that culminated in a cross-country internet freedom bus tour. Issa plans to hold an "ask me anything" session tomorrow on Reddit to answer questions about the bill.