The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today expressed gratitude to the 183 Democratic and Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives who stood in strong opposition to H.R. 9495, commonly referred to as the “Nonprofit Killer Bill.”
CAIR is now urging Senate leadership and the White House to reject any advancement of this undemocratic legislation, which threatens to undermine constitutional rights and empower government overreach.
H.R. 9495, opposed by CAIR and hundreds of nonprofit and civil rights organizations, would grant excessive discretionary authority to the Secretary of the Treasury to revoke the tax-exempt status of nonprofit organizations, including religious and advocacy groups. This could be done using classified evidence without formal charges or an adequate process for organizations to defend themselves, raising serious concerns about due process and governmental abuse.
In a statement, CAIR Government Affairs Department Director Robert S. McCaw said:
“We applaud the 184 members of Congress who voted against the dangerous and unconstitutional Nonprofit Killer bill, especially the dozens of House Democrats who opposed the proposal after initially supporting it last week. The steep drop in Democratic support for this Orwellian legislation is an important step in the right direction.
“We encourage the Senate to take note of this growing and strong Democratic opposition and call on the White House to reject the creation of any such undemocratic tools that are ripe for abuse and overreach. As more members of Congress learn what this bill is really about, they join those who reject its overreach.
“This bill was designed to silence and financially drain organizations that oppose Israel’s genocide of Palestinians, the slaughter of Lebanese, and the broader erosion of human rights in the region. It is an attack on free speech and advocacy, but let us be clear: advocates for justice will not be silenced.”
The legislation was narrowly passed today by a simple majority vote of 219-184, with 30 no votes. However, the vote reflects a significant increase in opposition, with 39 more Democratic members voting against the bill in comparison to the November 12 vote, when it fell short of the two-thirds majority needed for expedited approval, by 256-145.
CAIR recognizes Democratic Representative Lloyd Doggett of Texas for leading the Democratic opposition to the bill and praised his efforts to rally his colleagues in defense of nonprofit rights. CAIR also recognizes Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky for standing alongside Democratic colleagues in opposing the bill in both votes.
H.R. 9495 is drawn from earlier bills like H.R. 6408 and S. 4136, which threaten to chill legitimate criticism of Israel and advocacy for Palestinian human rights while undermining free speech, due process, and nonprofit independence.
Following the November 12 vote, CAIR mobilized its supporters to oppose the legislation, sending over 17,000 messages to House offices urging them to “VOTE NO.”CAIR’s stated goal was to compel as many of the 52 Democratic members who supported H.R. 9495 to change their votes and oppose it.
Following its initial defeat on November 12, 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 stating that the groups would: “continue to stand firm in protecting all organizations’ freedom to speak and operate without fear of political retribution.”
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.
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.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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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