•      "This bill is a collection of several minor bills I support, including greater reporting of Fentanyl traffic and Iranian human rights violations, and tightened sanctions on Iranian oil and weapons exports.  But it also includes two major provisions that I cannot support.  One is the ban on TikTok, which I believe is an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment.  The other is the REPO act, that would seize sovereign Russian assets.  This would be an unprecedented peacetime act and runs a high risk of discouraging foreign investments in the United States, particularly U.S. Treasury notes.  These provisions set very dangerous precedents." Source: Rep. Tom McClintock (Republican, California, District 5)

•      "The American Civil Liberties Union strongly urges you to vote “NO” on H.R. 8038, the 21st Century Peace through Strength Act. This bill contains provisions from two bills that the House considered earlier this year. The ACLU opposed what is now Division D of H.R. 8038, when it was before the House as H.R. 7521, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. Although the timeframe given to divest TikTok and other apps has been extended, it still unconstitutionally infringes on First Amendment rights of more than 170 million Americans who rely on TikTok to receive or express speech on a truly endless array of issues. The ACLU also raised serious concerns about what is now Division E of H.R. 8038, when it was before the House as H.R. 7520, the Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024. While we earlier called for a narrowing of what is now Division E’s scope, so that it would not extend past data brokers to implicate journalists, whistleblowers, and others, no such changes were made. Thus, the ACLU now opposes this portion of the bill because it could obstruct reporting of information that is protected under the First Amendment, and that is considered of value to the American public." Source: Statement from American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

•      "Over the weekend, the House voted on a slate of foreign aid bills, one of which contained a new version of the ‘TikTok ban’ as it is commonly referred to. All measures passed. On its face, this prohibits app stores from making applications available that are ‘controlled by foreign adversaries.’ In reality, this is not only aimed at TikTok’s parent ByteDance but all foreign companies who may run afoul of the whims and fancies of the American political class. On one level, this bill will chill foreign investment in America and threaten our standing as the world’s leader in innovation. On another level, it substantively harms small businesses in America that use TikTok and other social media applications to reach customers. Indeed, millions of Americans use TikTok to grow their businesses to the tune of billions of dollars each year. Worse yet, 170 million Americans express themselves on the social media platform, making this bill the most egregious assault on our First Amendment rights, ever." Source: Adam Brandon (President, FreedomWorks)