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Dear Lauren,
In a stunning betrayal, 52 House Democrats joined Republicans to vote for a bill that hands Donald Trump the power to attack nonprofits, advocacy groups, and charities -- organizations that are critical to justice, civil rights, and environmental protection.
The bill did not receive the 2/3rds majority it needed to pass, but Republicans have now used a different tactic to bring the bill up again -- as soon as this week -- and this time it will only need a normal majority vote to pass. That means, we’ll need every single Democrat to vote against it if we hope to stop it now.
Here’s what’s at stake.
The deceptively named Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act (H.R. 9495) would allow Trump’s Treasury Secretary to label nonprofits as “terrorist-affiliated” and strip their tax-exempt status.
It provides no due process or oversight, creating a perfect tool for politically motivated retaliation. Of course, organizations could fight the designation in court, but the damage will already be done as allies, banks, and other key non-profit infrastructure drop these targeted non-profits for fear of retaliation themselves.
Let me reiterate it: This law would give Trump the power to name any group he wants as “terrorist affiliated.” The Southern Poverty Law Center? Terrorists. The American Civil Liberties Union? Terrorists. The Sierra Club? Seems like a stretch, but is it really for Trump? Not at all. He has already declared that Democrats and people who sympathize with them are “the enemy from within.”
Any charity or advocacy group fighting for justice, equality, and environmental protection is at risk. Defending civil rights, supporting transgender people, advocating for the Green New Deal -- any of these activities could land a nonprofit on the chopping block.
Under this law, Trump would almost certainly have his Treasury Secretary silence organizations that challenge his agenda, making this bill a direct attack on civil society.
The Democrats who supported it need to reverse course and stand with nonprofits against Donald Trump’s authoritarian power grab when the bill comes up for another vote this week. Our allies will deliver this petition Wednesday afternoon to all 52 Democrats to make sure they get our message before the vote later this week.
If this bill becomes law, it will hand Trump the power to dismantle the nonprofits we rely on to hold power accountable and fight for progress.
Proponents of the law claim they want to go after nonprofits supporting Hamas, but we’ve already seen that Republicans in Congress deem any groups fighting for Palestinian rights or calling for a ceasefire in Gaza as supporting Hamas.
The reality is that it is already illegal for any organization to support terrorists in any way. There are systems set-up to identify potential violators and allow for due process that would include evidence and allow the accused to defend themselves and prove the allegations false.
H.R. 9495 would bypass all of that and give unchecked power to the Trump administration to do whatever they want with no proof, no evidence, and no process to determine the truth.
Trump has repeatedly attacked nonprofits he sees as political enemies. From threatening Planned Parenthood to denouncing organizations that challenge his policies, he has made it clear that he will target any group that stands in his way.
When this bill comes back to the House floor, the 52 Democrats must change course to stand with nonprofits, not Trump. Your signature will be delivered on Wednesday afternoon, so please add your name now.
With your voice, we can send a powerful message.
Thank you for standing up today.
Robert Reich
Inequality Media Civic Action
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