1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

H.R. 9495 poses a grave threat to the constitutional right to free speech and peaceful dissent. This bill would give the executive branch sweeping authority to dismantle nonprofit organizations deemed to provide "material support" to terrorist groups, without sufficient due process protections. The overly broad definition of "material support" could be abused by authoritarian administrations to target groups based on their political advocacy or viewpoints. History shows the U.S. government has disproportionately used material support laws to investigate and prosecute Muslims, charities, and civil society groups in the years after 9/11. Passing H.R. 9495 would only embolden such discriminatory practices and chill legitimate free expression under the guise of national security. Dissent is vital to a healthy democracy. This bill will not make us safer but instead risks silencing voices of opposition and criticism of government policies. I urge you to safeguard First Amendment freedoms and vote no on H.R. 9495. Our ability to organize, protest, and voice dissent must be robustly protected, not undermined by overbroad legislation that sacrifices cherished civil liberties.