New York's Senator Kirsten Gillibrand backed away from the Protect Intellectual Property Act legislation she co-sponsored in what Rebecca Melnitsky called "an especially appropriate manner" in her article in the Times-Union. The Senator used Facebook to acknowledge that her office had been deluged with concerns about the bill and wrote, "I agree there are real concerns with the current legislation and I'm working to make important changes to the bill." The measure would prosecute websites that "engage in, enable, or facilitate" copyright infringement. Several tech companies shut down their websites last week to protest PIPA and its House counterpart, the Stop Online Piracy Act, out of concern they would stymie the growth and development of online businesses. The Senator acknowledged the, "outpouring of democracy in action," around the law. In a statement released by her office she said, "It is time for Congress to take a step back and start over with both sides bringing their solutions to the table to find common ground towards solving this problem." Locally, New York Sens. Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer initially supported the bill while Republican Congressman Chris Gibson opposed the measures. Read Melnitsky's article in the Times-Union.