Da una dichiarazione di Richard A. Viguerie, presidente di GrassrootsFreedom.com, a proposito della linea del Congresso USA in base alla quale regolamentare le comunicazioni dal basso:

Section 220 of S. 1, the lobbying reform bill currently before the Senate, would require grassroots causes, even bloggers, who communicate to 500 or more members of the public on policy matters, to register and report quarterly to Congress the same as the big K Street lobbyists. Section 220 would amend existing lobbying reporting law by creating the most expansive intrusion on First Amendment rights ever. For the first time in history, critics of Congress will need to register and report with Congress itself.

The bill would require reporting of “paid efforts to stimulate grassroots lobbying,” but defines “paid” merely as communications to 500 or more members of the public, with no other qualifiers.

On January 9, the Senate passed Amendment 7 to S. 1, to create criminal penalties, including up to one year in jail, if someone “knowingly and willingly fails to file or report.”