Dear Peace Advocates,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fight for peace and justice faces a new challenge, and we need your voice now more than ever. A dangerous bill, H.R. 9495<\/a><\/strong>, is headed for a vote in the House any day. Dubbed the \u201cNonprofit Killer Bill,\u201d this legislation poses a grave threat to civil society and democratic rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s at Stake?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n H.R. 9495 grants the Secretary of the Treasury unilateral power to designate any nonprofit as a \u201cterrorist-supporting organization\u201d<\/strong> with minimal due process. This would effectively strip targeted nonprofits of their tax-exempt status, shutting them down and silencing their voices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This unprecedented overreach could impact humanitarian organizations, advocacy groups, media outlets<\/strong>, and even peace organizations like ours.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Worse still, this bill could disproportionately target groups advocating for Palestinian rights or any organization opposing the administration\u2019s policies. We\u2019ve already seen President-elect Trump vow to \u201ccrush\u201d the pro-Palestinian movement<\/a>. This bill gives him the tools to silence dissent across the board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why We Must Act Now<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n H.R. 9495 is disguised as a good-faith measure to exempt American hostages from IRS penalties, but it hides a dark agenda. Some House members, including Democrats, may vote for it without fully understanding its broader implications. This is where we come in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our right to petition the government for redress of grievances is at the heart of the First Amendment.<\/a><\/strong> H.R. 9495 threatens to undermine that fundamental right, and if passed, it will signal a new level of authoritarian control over civil society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n