On Tuesday, the House voted on H.R. 9495, the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act, sponsored by Rep. Tenney (NY-24). This legislation would terminate the tax-exempt status of nonprofits that it designates as “terrorist supporting organizations” without due process, essentially providing the executive branch with a powerful weapon to wield at its will against nonprofit advocacy. The bill states the executive branch would NOT have to provide ANY reasoning or evidence for its designation, which would further strip a nonprofit of its agency and ability to accomplish its mission. You can read the bill here.
The American Humanist Association (AHA) quickly released an action alert to urgently amplify the voices of humanists and democrats, who showed up in droves to tell their representatives to vote against the vague and dangerous implications of the bill. The bill and any other iteration of its language, is opposed by the AHA, the ACLU, and 125 other human rights, civil liberties, religious and secular groups.
The ACLU noted the bill “would give the incoming Trump administration a new tool they could use to stifle free speech, target political opponents, and punish groups that disagree with them.” Besides being a clear instrument for authoritarian terror, some pointed out that there is already federal law that addresses what the bill purports to combat.
The bill did not undergo regular, thorough legislative review; instead, Republican House leadership fast-tracked it to the Floor using a procedure known as “suspension of the rules.” A piece of legislation needs a two-thirds majority to pass when brought to the Floor using this procedure, which the bill ended up not receiving. H.R. 9495 failed to pass at 256-149 during Tuesday’s vote, thanks to the advocates who campaigned against it through coordinated mobilization efforts and by making their expertise and perspective known to members of Congress.
Unfortunately, this bill received some bipartisan support. When the bill is resurrected during the 119th Congress—which will commence on January 3rd, 2025 under new, powerful leadership that wants to see it pass—it will be important for advocates to rally against it again. Whatever may come in the next four years, the American Humanist Association will stand strong for our civil liberties and human rights, as it always has.
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