1. United States
2. Minn.
3. Letter

This proposed legislation, the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act, raises concerning issues that warrant rejection. While providing relief to American hostages is a noble cause, terminating the tax-exempt status of organizations deemed "terrorist supporting" based on an opaque designation process by the Treasury Secretary is highly problematic. The broad definition of "material support" could unfairly target groups engaged in humanitarian or political advocacy. Furthermore, allowing the revocation of tax-exempt status without due process or judicial review is an unacceptable infringement on civil liberties and freedom of association. This could have a chilling effect on legitimate organizations and stifle dissent. The potential for abuse and overreach in this bill's provisions outweighs any purported benefits. I urge you to reject this legislation and instead pursue more narrowly tailored, constitutional measures that do not compromise core democratic values and rights. Protecting national security need not come at the cost of trampling on fundamental freedoms and granting unchecked power to the executive branch.