The House Ways & Means Committee recently sent a bill to the floor that includes tax cuts for billionaires, cuts the clean energy tax credits, and, alarmingly, allows nonprofits to be stripped of their legal status without due process, simply because the Administration does not agree with their work. This provision is a dangerous threat to free speech and the right to dissent, both fundamental values of American democracy. As a faith community dedicated to prophetic justice work, we must act now to stop this bill. 

Every day, nonprofits use their right to free speech to speak up for marginalized communities around the world, many of whom have had their rights violated by their own government. This justice work often includes criticizing and pushing our government officials to stand up for values of justice and equality, and to uphold – or change – US laws and policies that have negative impact on vulnerable peoples. And yet, this bill would allow the Treasury Secretary to revoke any non-profit's legal status without due process. This decision can be made using “classified information” without the nonprofit’s input or ability to challenge in federal courts. This bill would severely harm any nonprofit’s ability to criticize the policies of the Administration and could be used as an effective tool for those wanting to silence political opponents.  It also could affect the ability of non-profit agencies (including churches) to provide financial support for legal and legitimate organizations and partners.  

The anti-nonprofit provision in this bill, originally introduced as H.R. 9495, has failed to pass through Congress on its own, so the committee slipped it into a seemingly-unrelated tax bill to ensure its reconsideration in the House. We must block this attack on our First Amendment rights that would leave nonprofits that disagree with high-level elected officials vulnerable to political attack. No Presidential administration should be allowed to make decisions about which non-profit organizations exist or not by taking away tax-exempt status without due process. Tell your Representative today that you OPPOSE this bill, and ask them to vote NO in the budget reconciliation bill when it comes to the House floor.