Today, 135 civil liberties, human rights, community, faith, and privacy organizations have united in a letter sent to the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, urging Chairman Ron Wyden and Ranking Member Mike Crapo to reject a “dangerous and Orwellian” bill H.R. 6408 and S. 4136 t that would undermine the fundamental rights of the American people by granting a single federal official the ability to strip nonprofit organizations of their tax status without justification or due process. The letter was also sent to every Senate office. It is reported that this week, the Senate could consider this bill in conjunction with the reauthorization of the annual Federal Aviation Administration spending bill.
READ THE LETTER: CLICK HERE
The 135-group endorsed letter addressed to the Senate Committee on Finance states in part:
“If enacted, this act would grant the Secretary of the Treasury broad discretionary powers to terminate the tax-exempt status of nonprofit organizations based solely on a subjective declaration that they are “terrorist supporting organizations.” This proposal lacks sufficient accountability measures and opens the door to potential abuse, especially given the current climate of increased politicization and polarization within the U.S. government.
“We draw attention to recent incidents where state governors and entities such as state and private universities, with vocal support from some members of Congress, have attempted to revoke the status or ban student-led chapters of Jewish and Palestinian groups organizing in support of Palestinian human rights. These actions underscore the danger of unchecked authority that could be wielded by an administration that does not respect the Bill of Rights to stifle free speech and legitimate advocacy efforts to petition the government.
“Furthermore, this act seems to be motivated by an anti-Palestinian bias aimed at stifling voices advocating for Palestinian human rights, especially in light of Israel’s deadly invasion of Gaza, resulting in over 34,000 civilian deaths and nearly 80,000 injuries. While this may be the primary concern for lawmakers backing this act, if it becomes law, it could be exploited by a hostile presidential administration to target organizations for political reasons, irrespective of their ideological stance.”
The proposed legislation would empower the Secretary of the Treasury to arbitrarily revoke the tax-exempt status of nonprofit organizations based on subjective accusations of being “terrorist supporting organizations.” This broad discretion without adequate oversight or accountability measures poses a significant threat to all Americans’ free speech and due process rights.
The letter underscores the potential for abuse inherent in granting the Secretary of the Treasury unchecked authority to use “classified information” in making designations without providing avenues for review or challenge in federal courts. This lack of transparency and due process mirrors troubling patterns seen in unconstitutional federal watchlists, raising serious concerns about the erosion of civil liberties and the rule of law in the name of national security.
Additionally, the letter highlights the dangers of unchecked authority and emphasizes the need to uphold constitutional rights, due process, and accountability in any measures aimed at addressing terrorism-related concerns.
The signatories urge the Senate Committee on Finance to exercise caution and refrain from advancing this legislation, emphasizing that it could set a dangerous precedent for suppressing dissent under the guise of national security. They also reaffirmed their commitment to safeguarding civil liberties and democratic principles, inviting the committee to engage in further dialogue on this critical issue.
National Letter Signatories: 18 MILLION RISING, Adalah Justice Project, Al-Furqaan Foundation, American Booksellers Association, American Federation of Ramallah Palestine, American Friends Service Committee, American Muslim Health Professionals, American Muslim Voice Foundation, American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), American Pakistani Advocacy Group (APAG); American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC); Arab American Civic Council; Asian American Advocacy Fund; Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus; Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for Civic Empowerment (AAPI FORCE); Asian Americans United; Association of Muslim American Lawyers (AMAL); Aurora Commons LLC; CAIR Action 501(c)4; Center for Protest Law & Litigation @ Partnership for Civil Justice Fund; Center for Security, Race and Rights; Center on Conscience and War; Children of Adam; Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador; Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR); DAWN; Defending Rights & Dissent; Demand Progress; Demo Lab South; Detention Watch Network; Doctors Against Genocide; Due Process Institute; EducateUS; Equality Labs; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Freedom of the Press Foundation; Freedom To Thrive; Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA); Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space; Government; Information Watch; Healthcare Across Borders; Hindus for Human Rights; ICNA Council for Social Justice (ICNA CSJ); Indonesian Muslim Society in America; International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP); Islamic Association Of North America; Islamic Society of North America (I.S.N.A.); Jewish Voice for Peace Action; LittleSis / Public Accountability Initiative; Malaysian Islamic Foundation of North America (MIFNA); Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate; MPower Change Action Fund; Muslim Advocates; Muslim American Society; Muslim Counterpublics Lab; Muslim Justice League; Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC); Muslim Student Association of United States & Canada (MSA National); Muslim Ummah of North America (MUNA); Muslim Women Kreate; Muslims; for Just Futures; National Iranian American Council Action; National Lawyers Guild; No Separate Justice; Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans; Peace Action; Project South; Restore The Fourth; Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign; STEM4US!; Surveillance Technology Oversight Project; The Latin America Working Group; The People’s Forum; US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR); US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO); Veterans For Peace; Voices of Muslims; Win Without War; and X-Lab.
Local, State, and Regional Signatories: Ahlulbayt Society of Columbus; Al Farooq Foundation; Ansaar Academy of Inland Empire; API Equality-LA; Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California; AZ Muslim Police Advisory Board; CAIR-Pittsburgh; Cham Muslims of Fullerton; Chino Valley Islamic Center; Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago; DarusSalam Masjid; Downtown Islamic Center; Hejrat Educational Center; Hillside Islamic Center; Husaynia Islamic Society of Seattle; IMAN Network; Illinois Muslim Action Network; Indianapolis Dawah Mission; Islamic Center of Conejo Valley; Islamic Center of Detroit; Islamic Center of Pittsburgh; Islamic Center of San Diego; Islamic Center of San Gabriel Valley; Islamic Center of South Bay-LA; Islamic Center of Wheaton ICW; Islamic Center of Wisconsin; Islamic Community Cultural Center; Islamic Education Center-Houston; Islamic Society of Basking Ridge, Inc.; Islamic Society of West Valley; Khan Enterprise Investments, LLC; Majlis Ash-Shura: Islamic Leadership Council of NY; MAS Central Jersey; MAS Maryland; Masjid Al-Furqan – West Cobb Islamic Center; Masjid Al-Momineen; Muslim American Society (MAS) of Central Florida; Muslim American Public Affairs Council (MAPAC); Muslim Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh; Muslim Community of Folsom; Muslim Community of Nassau County; Muslim Community of New Jersey (MCNJ); Muslim Resource Center; New Dominion PAC; Noor Islamic Cultural Center; Northern California Islamic Council; O’People Foundation; Prince George’s County Muslim Council; Rightly Guided Physicians; Sacramento Area League of Associated Muslims; Sammamish Muslim Association; Shia Muslim Council of Southern California; South Florida Muslim Federation; Tawhid Community Center; The Long Island Muslim Society, Inc.; and, The Mosque Foundation
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com