1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

I'm writing as your constituent today urging you to vote no on bill H.R. 9495 – a bill that at its core would enable current and future presidential administrations to stifle free speech, target political opponents, and punish disfavored groups. The bill would give the executive branch the authority to effectively dismantle any nonprofit organization deemed to have provided "material support" to terrorist groups – without due process. And an authoritarian-leaning executive branch could take advantage of the vague definition of material support to target nonprofits based on their political advocacy and other activities protected by the First Amendment. The U.S. government has a long history of abusive and discriminatory "material support" investigations and prosecutions in the post-9/11 era – disproportionately against Muslims, charities, and civil society organizations – so it's not hard to imagine how H.R. 9495 could be used to silence dissenting voices under the guise of national security. The facts are clear: H.R. 9495 will not keep us safe. Instead, it could be used to chill political advocacy and target organizations that express viewpoints the government doesn't like. I'm urging you to protect due process and our democratic values by voting against this dangerous bill.