UPDATED – CALL TO ACTION – HR9495

The ‘‘Stop Terror-Financing  and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act”

For those of you who contacted Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester on short notice on HR9495, thank you. Unfortunately, the bill passed the House on November 21.

It will now be up for a vote in the U.S. Senate. To reiterate, this bill would give the Treasury Department new power to muzzle, punish, and effectively shut down tax-exempt organizations without transparency or appropriate due process. This legislation would impact a wide range of tax-exempt organizations, including nonprofits, universities, and even news outlets. This means organizations like SDARJ and organizations we work with, such as ACLU and Planned Parenthood, could be stripped of their non-profit status after an accusation that they have supported terrorist organizations.

The Treasury Secretary would have the power to strip their tax-exempt status without due process. The department doesn’t have to provide evidence or hold a hearing, it merely has to provide the organization an opportunity “to cure,” that is to provide evidence that it is not supporting a terrorist organization, evidence that the Treasury Secretary would have the unilateral power to accept or reject.

Let’s not give the executive branch of our government a weapon that could be used against groups on the entire ideological spectrum. Call or email our Senators and ask them to vote against this bill.

Sen. Chris Coons
Phone:
D.C. – 202-224-5042,
Dover – 302-736-5601,
Wilmington – 302-573-6345;

Sen. Tom Carper
Phone:
D.C. – 202-224-2441;
Wilmington – 302-573-6291,
Dover – 302-674-3308,
Georgetown – 302-856-7698.