The Trump administration has already started attacking nonprofits, two months before they’re even in office. You may have heard of the bill (H.R. 9495) that would allow the government to terminate the tax-exempt status of nonprofits by giving the Secretary of Treasury the authority to designate any org a “terrorist-supporting organization.”
H.R. 9495, if it passes, is an effective way to neutralize nonprofits that take any actions to protest against the incoming government’s horrific agenda, which we know so far includes fast-tracking genocide, gutting social security, removing the citizenship of and deporting immigrants, shuttering the department of education, and banning abortions nationwide.
Shutting down nonprofits that protest against injustice by marking them as supporting terrorism is a violation of the First Amendment and a glimpse into the incoming administration’s fascist intentions. The bill was put to a vote last week and did not pass. But they are trying again. This WEDNESDAY* (Nov 20) morning, it will go to a full house vote, and just needs a simple majority to pass, unlike last week, when they needed a 2/3 majority. (*originally it was Thursday Nov 21)
WE MUST ALL TAKE ACTION! Here are some things you can do immediately. Please rally everyone in your networks. This bill poses a grave existential threat to our sector, and is a terrifying vision of the future if we don’t do everything we can to prevent it.
Thank you to Rusty Stahl from Fund the People for sounding the alarm and compiling resources, including the actions and script below:
YOU CAN HELP DEFEAT this bill with 2 easy actions BEFORE THIS THURSDAY:
(1) Join 35,000 Americans who have signed the petition against H.R. 9495. Sign now: https://lnkd.in/gAupWREr
(2) Call the 52 Democrats who voted FOR the bill last week to urge them to vote NO this Thursday!
- Look below to see if you are represented by one of these 52 Democrats who voted YES.
- Call or email their Capitol Hill office every day through Thursday 11/21/24!
- Dial the Capitol Switchboard to be connected to your Rep’s office: (202) 224-3121.
- If you or your board members or donors have relationships with them or their staff, reach out personally!
- Be authentic and passionate. There is a script available below you can work from
Here are the 52 Democrats Who Voted YES on 9495 Last Week:
AZ: Greg Stanton (AZ-4)
CA: Jim Costa (CA-21); Josh Harder (CA-9); Mike Levin (CA-49); Jimmy Panetta (CA-19); Adam Schiff (CA-30); Brad Sherman (CA-32); Norma Torres (CA-35); Juan Vargas (CA-52),
CO: Yadira Caraveo (CO-8)
CT: Jahana Hayes (CT-5)
FL: Kathy Castor (FL-14); Lois Frankel (FL-22); Jared Moskowitz (FL-23); Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25)
GA: Lucy McBath (GA-7)
HI: Ed Case (HI-1)
IL: Nikki Budzinski (IL-13); Brad Schneider (IL-10); Eric Sorensen (IL-17)
IN: Frank Mrvan (IN-1)
KS: Sharice Davids (KS-3)
MD: Steny Hoyer (MD-5)
ME: Jared Golden (ME-2)
MI: Hillary Scholten (MI-3); Elissa Slotkin (MI-7); Haley Stevens (MI-11); Shri Thanedar (MI-13); Debbie Dingell (MI-6)
MN: Angie Craig (MN-2)
NC: Kathy Manning (NC-6)
NH: Chris Pappas (NH-1)
NJ: Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5); Donald Norcross (NJ-1); Frank Pallone (NJ-6)
NM: Gabe Vasquez (NM-2)
NV: Susie Lee (NV-3)
NY: Grace Meng (NY-6); Pat Ryan (NY-18); Tom Suozzi (NY-3); Ritchie Torres (NY-15)
OH: Marcy Kaptur (OH-9); Greg Landsman (OH-1); Emilia Sykes (OH-13)
TX: Colin Allred (TX-32); Henry Cuellar (TX-28); Jasmine Crockett (TX-30); Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15)
WA: Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-3); Kim Schrier (WA-8); Marilyn Strickland (WA-10)
WI: Gwen Moore (WI-4)
Template Script to Oppose H.R. 9495:
Hi, my name is [Your Name], and I’m a constituent from [City/State]. I’m calling to urge you to oppose H.R. 9495, the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act, scheduled for a vote later today.
This bill poses a direct threat to nonprofits by granting the Treasury Secretary unchecked power to label organizations as “terrorist supporting” and strip their tax-exempt status. Even worse, this can happen without evidence, intentional links, or any requirement to disclose the reasons for the designation. The lack of due process and accountability leaves nonprofits defenseless against vague and potentially politically motivated accusations.
While the bill includes provisions for tax relief for American hostages—a noble cause—this should not come at the expense of jeopardizing nonprofit operations and democratic values. These provisions should be separated into their own bill that doesn’t include the unchecked harm to nonprofits.
Please oppose H.R. 9495 to protect nonprofits and the communities they serve. Thank you for your time and consideration.