Last week MPAC hosted a webinar titled “The Nonprofit Killer Bill: What’s Next”. During our discussion, we explored the significant implications of H.R. 9495, which empowers the Secretary of the Treasury to revoke the tax-exempt status of organizations it deems to be supporting terrorism.
As we highlighted, this bill could severely stifle advocacy efforts, particularly those centered on promoting peace and Palestinian human rights, and undermine the fundamental values of free speech and democratic engagement.
Key Takeaways from the Webinar:
The Threat to Civil Society: Should this bill become law, it will lead to a political witch hunt against nonprofits and advocacy groups, echoing the post-9/11 counterterrorism efforts that unjustly targeted specific communities.
Targeting Pro-Palestinian voices: This bill is part of a concerted and well-funded effort to silence the pro-peace and pro-Palestinian movement. It is predicated on conflating its advocacy and support for ending the genocide with supporting terrorism.
Advocacy works: Members of Congress switched their position on this bill/past iterations because they heard from their constituents
How You Can Help:
Mobilize Your Communities: Share the recording of this webinar and engage your networks in the fight against this legislation.
Stay Informed: Keep up to date with our advocacy efforts and upcoming actions by subscribing to our updates.
Call your Senators and Representatives and ask them to sign MPAC’s Pledge to Defend the Right to Free Speech
Looking ahead to the final weeks of this year and to the 119th Congress in January, we are asking our civil society partners and Members of the House of Representatives and Senate to sign our Pledge to Defend the Right to Free Speech. Our goal is that through this pledge, we can mobilize support for civil society and opposition to criminalizing dissent and ensure this bill never becomes law.
Thank you for standing with us in defense of civil society. Together, we can ensure that nonprofits remain empowered to advocate for justice, peace, and democratic values without fear of reprisal.
