1. United States
2. Maine
3. Letter

I am writing to express deep concern regarding Section 226 of H.R. 5300, which was recently reported out of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. As you may know, this provision would authorize the Secretary of State to deny or revoke a U.S. citizen’s passport based on a broad and discretionary determination that the individual has provided “material support” to a designated foreign terrorist organization — even in the absence of a criminal conviction or judicial process.   Despite the widespread objections raised, there has been no clear public confirmation that this provision was actually removed from the bill, which raises legitimate concern about its current status.   Civil liberties organizations and constitutional scholars have raised serious alarms about the vague and expansive language in Section 226, which could be misapplied to target individuals for protected First Amendment activity, including donations, speech, and peaceful protest. Past cases have shown that “material support” provisions can be interpreted to include nonviolent advocacy and humanitarian engagement, placing ordinary Americans at risk of severe penalties for lawful expression.   I respectfully urge you to: 1 Speak up regarding your opposition to H.R. 5300 if Section 226 remains in the bill, and 2 Insist that this bill not be brought to the floor under suspension of the rules, which would eliminate the opportunity for members to debate or amend this provision. At a time when transparency, accountability, and civil liberties are of paramount importance, Congress must not allow sweeping executive powers to be enacted through ambiguous statutory language or expedited floor procedures. I hope you will speak out publicly and take all available steps to ensure Section 226 is either removed or debated in full view of the American public.   Thank you for your attention to this matter.