Republicans
in Congress are pushing a dangerous bill, HR 9495,
that they are voting on today. It would
give the federal government the unchecked power
to wantonly label non-profit organizations as
"terrorist-supporting" and strip them of their
tax-exempt status.
If this
legislation becomes law, it would hand a future Trump
administration — and any administration after it — the
power to silence dissent, stifle free speech, and crush
civil society, with no evidence or due process
required.
On the surface, HR 9495
claims to target "terrorist-supporting organizations."
But in reality, this bill is a ticking time bomb
for free speech and democracy. The legislation
would allow the Treasury Secretary to unilaterally label
any non-profit organization as "terrorist-supporting"
without providing evidence or
explanation. These organizations would then
have just 90 days to prove their innocence — a
near-impossible task when the accuser holds all the
power.
Imagine this in the hands of a
Trump administration. We've seen Trump's
authoritarian tendencies before — calling for protesters
to be shot in the legs and labeling dissenters as
enemies of the state. Under this law, advocacy groups
that challenge genocide or police brutality, support
reproductive rights, or fight for racial justice could
be targeted, defunded, and dismantled. We've
seen similar tactics used globally to crush
dissent, in a wide variety of countries,
including in Russia.
This bill is up for
a vote in the House of Representatives today
and will likely pass. If the Senate follows
suit now — or in the future, under Trump's new
administration — the consequences for civil society will
be catastrophic.
We must protect the
freedoms that make democracy possible and resist the
rise of authoritarianism. Sign this petition today and
urge Congress, especially the U.S. Senate, to stop HR
9495.
