Republicans renew push to expand federal powers to punish non-profits

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Guardian

Wed 20 Nov 2024 11.16 EST
Last modified on Wed 20 Nov 2024 12.06 EST


House Republicans have renewed a push to pass a bill that would allow the treasury department to strip non-profit groups it deems to be supporting “terrorism” of their tax-exempt status.

The so-called “non-profit killer” bill would give the government broad powers to sanction civil society organizations. Progressive groups have rallied in opposition to the bill in recent days, arguing that Donald Trump’s administration could invoke it to punish his political opponents.

The measure “would be profoundly damaging to all sorts of non-profits”, said the American Civil Liberties Union federal policy counsel, Kia Hamadanchy. “There’s the stigma of being called a terrorist-supporting organization, there are banks who may not want to transact with you once you have that status, there are donors who may not want to give you money because they’re afraid, themselves, of being called supporters of terrorism.”

The bill, titled Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act, or HR 9495, failed to clear the House of Representatives last week after members attempted to fast-track it by suspending House rules, which would have required a supermajority to pass. When it failed, Republicans brought it back through the House rules committee – paving the way for a floor vote on Wednesday or Thursday, this time requiring only a simple majority. The bill ties the non-profit policy to a widely supported measure easing tax obligations for Americans unjustly imprisoned abroad.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/20/non-profit-terrorism-bill-republicans

[Silent Type]

1. Wish Biden Admin had those powers.

[gab13by13]

3. Terrorism is just a word

TSF wants to shut down legitimate non-profits.

This is a BFD, it will suppress dissent to Magat policies.

[JoseBalow]

4. But not churches tho

jihad for jesus is A-OK

[Schlocko]

5. So will churches now have to start paying taxes?

Just wondering.

[oldmanlynn]

6. It's more government trying to dictate what can happen and what can't happen

These Republicans always campaign on the government needs to get out of the way and when they’re in power, they’re trying to get the government to do everything they want to do

[Prairie Gates]

7. This will be used against private universities to force curricular and policy changes

Bank it.

[Ann B]

8. Democrats Want the Bill As Well

Full List of Democrats Who Voted for Bill That Gives Trump Admin More Power
Over 50 House Democrats voted to give President-elect Donald Trump's Treasury secretary more power over nonprofit organizations.

The House voted against the GOP-led Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act Tuesday, with 256 representatives voting in favor, shy of the 270 needed to pass the bill. Over 200 Republicans along with 52 Democrats supported the bill, and one Republican joined the 144 Democrats who opposed it.

The bill would give secretaries of the United States Treasury the power to designate nonprofit organizations as "terrorist-supporting" and, thus, strip those groups of their tax-exempt status. The bill's passage would apply the amendments made in it to taxable years after its enactment, including those of the incoming Trump administration.

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The current version of the bill, which Representative Claudia Tenney introduced, is paired with a provision that offers tax relief to Americans who are "unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad, or held hostage abroad."

The American Civil Liberties Union criticized the bill as "a new tool [the Trump administration] could use to stifle free speech, target political opponents, and punish groups that disagree with them."