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Are you referring to the Digital Economy Bill?
If so, from what I can tell it was passed by 184-47, and it had been on the table and revised once or twice before the final vote; policy documents dated back to 2009. The likely reason why there wasn't an extended debate was because they had already reviewed the materials, discussed it in committees and in private. In fact, many Congressional debates in the US are political theatre rather than substantive policy debates, as exhibited in the health care reform discussions.
Photographers, by the way -- hardly a powerful lobby or numerically large group -- managed to get the "orphan works" provision killed, despite several groups promoting it. I'm guessing their organized opposition might have had something to do with that change.
I'm seeing one Guardian article which refers to 17,000 letters opposing the fast-track process, but no references to millions of emails or letters sent to MP's. If you have a reference, I'd be glad to see it.
Again, I'm not saying that a single email will change the world, or even your elected official's mind. I'm also definitely not saying "send an email and it will be fine." But it is rather basic that they don't know what the voters are thinking if the voters don't communicate.
I mean, really, how thoroughly can you oppose SOPA or a similar bill if you can't take out 5 minutes to fire off a couple of emails?
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