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NO THANKS TO THESE 52 DEMS, HOUSE DEFEATS BILL ENABLING TRUMP ASSAULT
ON NONPROFITS  
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Jake Johnson
November 13, 2024
Common Dreams
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_ "Every single Democrat who voted for this is not taking the threat
of Trump remotely seriously and should be disqualified from any
leadership positions moving forward," said Georgia State Rep. Ruwa
Romman. _

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., listens during a House Intelligence
Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, on April 15, 2021.,
Al Drago/Pool via AP

 

Legislation that would have handed President-elect Donald Trump
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investigate and shutter news outlets, government watchdogs,
humanitarian organizations, and other nonprofits was defeated in the
House of Representatives on Tuesday after a coalition of progressive
advocacy groups and lawmakers
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it, warning of the bill's dire implications for the right to dissent.

But 52 Democratic lawmakers—including Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.),
Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), and Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.)—apparently did
not share the grave concerns expressed by the ACLU and other leading
rights groups
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opting to vote alongside 204 Republicans in favor of the bill.

One Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, joined 144 Democrats
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The measure ultimately fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to
approve legislation under the fast-track procedure used by the bill's
supporters, but progressives wasted no time spotlighting the Democrats
who supported the measure.

"If you're looking for a handy list of Democrats who have no fucking
clue what is about to hit and need their spines stiffened ASAP, this
is a good place to start," wrote
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Greenberg, co-executive director of the advocacy group Indivisible.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib
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who vocally opposed
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legislation, wrote
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52 Democrats voted to give Trump the power to shut down any nonprofit
he wants."

"The NAACP, ACLU, Planned Parenthood, no organization would be safe,"
Tlaib added. "Shameful."

If passed, the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American
Hostages Act
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grant the Treasury Department—soon to be under the control of a
Trump nominee—the authority to unilaterally strip nonprofits of
their tax-exempt status by deeming them supporters of terrorism.

The bill could be revived
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the next Congress, which is likely to be under full Republican
control.

Kia Hamadanchy, senior policy counsel with the ACLU, told
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Intercept_ late Tuesday that "we will continue our sustained
opposition."

It is already illegal under U.S. law to provide material backing for
terrorism, and the executive branch has significant authority to
target groups it considers terrorist-supporting.

The ACLU noted
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of Tuesday's vote that while the bill contains "a 90-day 'cure' period
in which a designated nonprofit can mount a defense, it is a mere
illusion of due process."

"The government may deny organizations its reasons and evidence
against them, leaving the nonprofit unable to rebut allegations," the
group said. "This means that a nonprofit could be left entirely in the
dark about what conduct the government believes qualifies as
'support,' making it virtually impossible to clear its name."

Opponents of the bill warned that Palestinian rights organizations
would be uniquely imperiled if it passed.

"This bill dangerously weaponizes the Treasury against nonprofit
organizations and houses of worship—Christian, Jewish, or
Muslim—that dare to support Palestinian and Lebanese human rights or
criticize Israel's genocidal actions," said
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McCaw, director of government affairs at the Council on
American-Islamic Relations.

"Allowing such sweeping, unchecked power would set a chilling
precedent, enabling the government to selectively target and suppress
voices of dissent under the guise of national security," McCaw added.
"This isn't just an attack on our communities; it's a fundamental
threat to free speech and democracy."

Georgia State Rep. Ruwa Romman (D-97), a Palestinian American, echoed
that sentiment
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Tuesday's vote and condemned the legislation's 52 Democratic
supporters.

"Every single Democrat who voted for this is not taking the threat of
Trump remotely seriously and should be disqualified from any
leadership positions moving forward," Romman wrote on social media.
"This is no longer business as usual. To agree to give him this kind
of power is beyond egregious."

* Donald Trump
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* Political repression
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* Repressive legislation
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* House of Representatives
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