1. United States
2. Pa.
3. Letter

The members of Congress should oppose H.R. 9495, the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act. While the intent to support American hostages and individuals wrongfully detained abroad is laudable, there are concerning provisions that undermine due process and civil liberties. The bill grants the Secretary of the Treasury broad discretion to unilaterally designate organizations as "terrorist supporting organizations" based on a low evidentiary standard. This could lead to discriminatory targeting and deprivation of organizations' tax-exempt status without adequate oversight or recourse. The limited judicial review afforded is also problematic from a constitutional standpoint. Moreover, the retroactive refund and abatement provisions, though well-intentioned, create complex administrative burdens that may be difficult to implement fairly and consistently. There are better ways to provide relief to affected individuals that do not compromise important legal principles. For these reasons, this legislation overreaches and should not be enacted in its current form. More balanced approaches that uphold civil rights and follow established legal frameworks would be preferable to address the underlying issues. Therefore, I urge you to vote against this bill to allow for further review and revisions.