National, U.S. – This week, the U.S. House of Representatives may again vote on House Resolution 9495, which would grant the incoming Trump administration unchecked power to silence and shut down nonprofit organizations. At its last vote, the bill failed to reach the two-thirds majority needed to pass the House, but it returns to the House under different rules that would require only a simple majority to pass.
Jeff Ordower, 350.org North America Director, responds:
“Do not be fooled: HR 9495 claims to be an effort to ‘root out terrorism’ but it is a tool to quash dissent and shut down nonprofit organizations without proof. Not only was this bill born out of Islamophobia, its further purpose is to silence orgs like ours – movement groups that oppose bigotry, oppressive structures, and the fossil fuel industry. The bill would allow the president to strip an organization of its 501c3 status and deem it a ‘supporter of terror’ without proof. Without a 501c3 status, nonprofits like 350.org could no longer function in the US and there would be no legal recourse to restore our status all so the incoming Trump administration would be able to stifle the free speech of his detractors. We call on Congress to REJECT HR 9495 and to understand the true danger it represents.”