The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, is calling on all Americans to take immediate action to oppose H.R. 9495, a proposed “nonprofit killer” law that would grant unchecked power to the incoming Trump administration’s Secretary of the Treasury to revoke the nonprofit tax status of any religious and advocacy organizations without evidence, charges or due process.
Despite its defeat on Tuesday night, the bill will return for a second vote in the U.S. House of Representatives early next week, with a markup starting on Monday, November 18, followed by an expected floor vote on Tuesday or Wednesday where it will require only a simple majority to pass.
CAIR: House GOP Moves to Ram Through Bill That Gives Trump Unilateral Power to Kill Nonprofits – The Intercept
TAKE ACTION: URGE CONGRESS TO OPPOSE ANTI-NONPROFIT TAX BILL H.R. 9495
On Tuesday, H.R. 9495 narrowly fell short of the two-thirds majority required for expedited approval, with a vote of 256-145. Next week’s vote will grant the bill full consideration, lowering the threshold for passage to a simple majority. If passed, it will advance to the Democratic-controlled Senate, though significant opposition could stall its progress.
In a statement, CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert S. McCaw said:
“Opponents of H.R. 9495 – the ‘nonprofit killer’ bill – are ready for round two. This bill threatens not only American Muslim and Palestinian nonprofits, but any civic or faith-based organization or house of worship advocating for politically-sensitive issues. Monday’s vote is critical—every American must urge their lawmakers to reject this dangerous attack on free speech and due process. The more bipartisan opposition H.R. 9495 faces, the less likely it will advance in the Senate.”
CAIR’s Goal: Send as Many Messages as Possible & Flip the Votes of House Democratic Supporters
CAIR’s immediate focus is to compel as many of the 52 Democratic members who supported H.R. 9495 on Tuesday to change their votes and oppose it.
This act draws from earlier bills like H.R. 6408 and S. 4136, threatens to chill legitimate criticism of Israel and advocacy for Palestinian human rights while undermining free speech, due process, and nonprofit independence.
While CAIR supports the H.R.9495’s core aim of assisting U.S. nationals wrongfully detained abroad, it opposes provisions that jeopardize nonprofit advocacy and constitutional rights:
- Broad Discretionary Powers: Grants the Treasury Secretary unchecked authority to revoke tax-exempt status based on subjective and potentially politically motivated criteria.
- Threat to Free Speech: Could target advocacy groups addressing contentious issues, such as Palestinian human rights, suppressing legitimate activism.
- Violation of Due Process: Allows the use of classified information to designate organizations without providing a means to challenge the evidence.
- Existing Legal Frameworks Suffice: Current laws already address terrorism financing without infringing on constitutional rights.
On Wednesday, CAIR joined organizations including the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), ICNA Council for Social Justice, Justice For All, Muslim American Society (MAS), and Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) in welcoming the defeat of H.R. 9495.
Last month, CAIR joined 100 organizations in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, stating that H.R. 9495 “poses a direct threat to the constitutional rights of any American nonprofit, house of worship, or advocacy organization.”
In May, CAIR also joined 135 civil liberties and human rights groups in a letter to the Senate Finance Committee opposing similar legislation.
Should H.R. 9495 be adopted by the House, CAIR will continue to urge all concerned Americans to take action and urge their U.S. Senators to oppose the advancement of this act, and its dangerous goals.
CAIR remains committed to challenging this legislation in all its iterations and forms and will continue to advocate for the protection of nonprofit organizations’ rights to free speech, due process, and equal treatment under the law.
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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; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert S. McCaw, 202-716-6242, rmccaw@cair.com