Tell Congress: VOTE NO on H.R. 9495!

Defend nonprofit workers NOW.

This week the U.S. House of Representatives is voting on H.R. 9495, a bill which includes language that would give the Secretary of the Treasury almost unilateral power to strip the tax-exempt status from any nonprofit organization it deems to be “providing material support to terrorist organizations.” The law would not require Treasury officials to explain the reasoning behind the decision or for the department to provide evidence. It was narrowly defeated in an earlier vote on November 12 because it failed to clear a 2/3rds majority vote in the House.

During last week’s vote more than 50 House Democrats voted in favor of the bill, which   would give future administrations the power to silence dissent and chill opposition, without due process for those targeted.

House Republicans reintroduced the bill in a second attempt to pass it and changed the rules so only a simple majority is needed to pass it and move it to the Senate.

A vote on the House floor is expected this week. So sign the petition here - before they vote - NOW!

This legislation threatens nonprofit workers at ProPublica, the Texas Tribune, Spotlight PA, American Civil Liberties Union affiliates, the Natural Resource Defense Council, Southern Poverty Law Center and more who are members of The NewsGuild-CWA.

We are urging our members and supporters to contact their U.S. Representative TODAY and ask them to vote NO on H.R. 9495 and preserve free speech at nonprofit organizations. Use this form to send a letter to your representative in Congress.

Not sure what to write? - Here's what the letter will loo like. Add what you want to say or edit it to your liking:

I write to you to express my deep concern with H.R. 9495, the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act, given a provision in the bill that would silence nonprofits and pose a threat to organizations nationwide. 

Section 4 of the bill, “Termination of tax-exempt status of terrorist supporting organizations,” would give the Secretary of the Treasury near-unilateral power to strip the nonprofit status on any organization considered to be providing “material support or resources” to a terrorist organization without any guardrails. Such unilateral power could easily be abused by any future administration to target political opponents, shut down newsrooms and silence freedom of speech and affiliation in the United States. 

This legislation threatens nonprofit workers at places such as ProPublica, the Texas Tribune, Spotlight PA, American Civil Liberties Union affiliates, the Natural Resource Defense Council, Southern Poverty Law Center and more who make up a large part of The NewsGuild-CWA. And the legislation threatens the existence of unions, which are also nonprofit organizations. Free speech and a free press are the bedrock of American civil society and the promise of democracy. This bill threatens to censor, if not eliminate, our valued nonprofit newsrooms and advocacy organizations. 

I see this legislation as an immediate and serious threat to the many nonprofit organizations that do groundbreaking work in this country. Free speech and a free press are the bedrock of American civil society and the promise of democracy. 

I ask you to vote NO on H.R. 9495 and preserve free speech. We must be a nation that ensures nonprofit organizations and newsrooms are safe from the threat of losing their tax-exempt status at the hands of any future administration.

Thank you,