It's started already. This week the House is considering an expedited bill to allow the Treasury Department to withdraw tax exempt status from nonprofits it declares to be a “terrorist-support organization.”
That sounds pretty reasonable but the bill language is so vague that Treasury could name any nonprofit a terrorist-support organization and that would shut it down financially. There is no legitimate way to appeal the designation. Planned Parenthood could be targeted. The ACLU. And even the Secular Coalition for America or any of our member organizations. We need your support to oppose the bill with this Action Alert.
The original goal of this bill was to target nonprofits that support Palestine but it has become clear that this provision could be used to target any nonprofit that criticizes the new Administration. There should not be a new tool available for a president who has promised, quoting here, “retribution.”
In an effort to get the bill passed, it has been amended onto a popular bill to prevent the IRS from issuing fines and penalties to American citizens held hostage by international terrorist groups. Please join us in standing up for all nonprofits by using our Action Alert to ask members of the House and Senate to oppose this bill until it has been rewritten to better protect nonprofits.
Your advocate,
Scott MacConomy
Director of Policy and Government Affairs
Secular Coalition for America |
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The Secular Coalition for America works every day to defend the separation of religion and government and to fight anti-democratic ideologies like Christian nationalism. Your support for this work is vital.
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