Dear Representative,

As your constituent, I am writing to urge your office to oppose H.R. 9495, a bill that includes a provision that threatens the tax-exempt status of nonprofit organizations for freedom of speech activities. This bill presents significant concerns and risks to civil society groups. We urge your office to take leadership by opposing H.R. 9495 (text here) and pushing the United States House of Representatives to reject this bill. We also call on your office to push back on the broader targeting of civil society groups and organizations.

H.R. 9495 authorizes the Treasury Department to unilaterally designate US nonprofits as "terrorist-supporting" organizations, allowing the Secretary of Treasury to strip them of tax-exempt status and effectively shut them down. However, several factors make this legislation unnecessary and dangerous:

1. Unnecessary Legislation: Existing federal laws such as the Anti-terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA), Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), and others already prohibit nonprofits from providing material support to foreign terrorist organizations, with severe criminal and civil penalties in place.

2. Discriminatory Intent and Impact: This legislation could be used to target organizations working with Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim communities, perpetuating divisive and racist narratives. References to such groups were made during discussions on the legislation, indicating discriminatory intent. There is a history of detrimental impacts of similar legislation on Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian civil society groups and communities. In particular, this bill is meant to target Palestinian groups and other civil society groups that are raising awareness on the direct impact of genocide and state terror on Palestinians.

3. Vulnerability to Political Exploitation: H.R. 9495 could be exploited for political purposes to target nonprofits that hold positions unfavorable to the executive branch, undermining the autonomy of civil society organizations.

4. Burden of Proof: The legislation places the burden of proof on already vulnerable and under-resourced nonprofits, potentially leading to unjust designations and damaging consequences for their operations.

5. Chilling Effect on Civil Society: If enacted, this legislation could create a chilling effect, hindering the active engagement of nonprofit organizations, particularly those representing Arab, Muslim, Palestinian, and other communities, thereby undermining civil society as a whole

As of November 11, 2024, H.R. 9495 is scheduled for a floor vote in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, November 12, 2024. Our organization urges you to stand against H.R. 9495 and decline to further entrench institutionalized Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian racism, and anti-Arab racism. If enacted, this legislation would further marginalize, target, and cast suspicion on our communities.

Your opposition to this legislation is crucial in safeguarding the core tenets of freedom of speech, association and expression, and the existence of a robust civil society, which serves as a cornerstone of a thriving democracy.

For additional information, please refer to resources provided by the Charity and Security Network, and a joint letter signed by over 100 advocacy organizations.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Take action now by urging your congressional representative to oppose H.R. 9495 and protect the crucial work of nonprofit organizations in our communities.