Dear MoveOn member,
EMERGENCY: Moments ago, MAGA Republicans in Congress just rammed through
legislation that could give Donald Trump the power to destroy
organizations that oppose him—including MoveOn.^1
Even more terrifying, 15 Democrats voted in favor of the bill.^2
The bill, H.R. 9495, gives the Treasury Department—i.e., the Trump
administration—unilateral power to declare a nonprofit to be a
"terrorist-supporting organization" and strip its tax-exempt status.^3
Organizations that oppose him—like MoveOn—could be shut down with just a
swipe of a pen from Trump.
While Trump's Cabinet appointees soaked up the news cycle, the House tried
to push this thoroughly dangerous bill under the radar last week. MoveOn
members and our partners stopped them—in large part because two-thirds of
the House was initially needed to pass the bill. But now Speaker Mike
Johnson has figured out a new way to require only a simple majority to
pass the bill, and the House voted to pass the bill MOMENTS AGO.
This is a true emergency, John. We need to sound the alarm in a
major way to stop H.R. 9495 and prevent Trump from shutting down nonprofit
organizations! Will you start a $5 monthly donation to power
the fight to stop this bill in the Senate, and to combat MAGA's other
authoritarian plans, for as long as it takes?
[ [link removed] ]Yes, I'll chip in monthly.
[ [link removed] ]No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.
H.R. 9495 was originally written to attack organizations showing support
for Palestinians, and it is a dire threat to nongovernment organizations
trying to support the Palestinian people suffering in the current war, but
it could give the Trump administration the ability to declare any
organization as "supporting terrorists"—with no proof, no burden of
evidence, no due process.^4,5
More than 150 religious, reproductive health, immigrant rights, human
rights, racial justice, LGBTQ+, environmental, and educational
organizations, led by the American Civil Liberties Union, have spoken up
against this awful bill.^6
The House tried to push through the bill with a two-thirds majority
procedure last week, and 52 Democrats voted for it.^7 Today they needed
only a simple majority, and the House passed the bill with the support of
15 Democrats. We cannot allow a MAGA-controlled Senate in January to pass
this bill.
Will you start a $5 monthly donation—right now—to stop this
terrifying bill from becoming law, protect free speech and our right to
protest, and stop Trump's authoritarianism? Your ongoing donation couldn't
be more critical.
[ [link removed] ]Yes, I'll chip in monthly.
[ [link removed] ]No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.
This isn't the first time that Trump or his allies have tried to weaponize
the federal government against us.
When we called out the No Labels party for its reckless third-party
candidacy, the group filed a Department of Justice complaint against us.^8
We've been sued for speaking out against the January 6 insurrection.^9
This bill is different. If it passes, it has the possibility to silence
not only MoveOn but also any organization that Trump targets. And
considering his history of retribution, we know he won't miss out on this
opportunity to try to shut us down. It's an especially frightening
prospect given Trump's previous attempt to designate anti-MAGA protesters
and pro-Palestinian advocates as terrorists, and to vilify those he
disagrees with as the "enemy from within."^10
Now we are flooding Congress with calls to let our representatives know we
will not abide by this attack on our First Amendment rights. We need to
step up before it's too late.
This is a five-alarm moment, John. Please start
a $5 monthly donation to power and sustain our efforts to
stand against Trump.
[ [link removed] ]Yes, I'll chip in monthly.
[ [link removed] ]No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.
Thanks for all you do.
–Britt, Rahna, Saskia, Gabi, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "HR 9495: Bill Threatening Nonprofits Passes House," Nonprofit
Quarterly, November 21, 2024
[link removed]
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. "Congress Is About to Gift Trump Sweeping Powers to Crush His Political
Enemies," The Intercept, November 10, 2024
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5. Ibid.
6. "Civil Society Letter to House Opposing H.R. 9495," ACLU, September 20,
2024
[link removed]
7. "House GOP Moves to Ram Through Bill That Gives Trump Unilateral Power
to Kill Nonprofits," The Intercept, November 15, 2024
[link removed]
8. "No Labels files DOJ complaint about groups boycotting its 2024
presidential ballot access effort," CBS News, January 18, 2024
[link removed]
9. "MoveOn.org and Bucks man defend post-insurrection petition in NAC,
Worthington defamation claim," Phillyburbs.com, June 7, 2021
[link removed]
10. "Scalise preps vote on terrorism bill decried as a gift for Trump,"
MSNBC, November 19, 2024
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Want to support MoveOn's work? Donald Trump and his MAGA allies expect us
to give up. But we will not give them what they want. We will never stop
working to defend our fundamental freedoms and protect our democracy.
MoveOn has been leading the movement against right-wing extremism for 26
years, and we promise you that we will still be here every step of the way
forward.
Will you donate to power MoveOn's work to protect our freedoms and
democracy under Trump's administration?
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