Urging Opposition to HR9495 – Defending First Amendment Rights and Civil Society

I am writing to urge your office to oppose H.R. 9495, the so-called “Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act.” This bill raises serious First Amendment concerns and appears tailored to suppress political expression and advocacy by nonprofits, especially under the incoming administration. With Trump and his Cabinet’s statements about suppressing pro-Palestinian voices and targeting political opposition, this legislation would arm the new administration’s Treasury Department with extraordinary powers to penalize nonprofits that engage in advocacy. H.R. 9495 threatens nonprofits representing vulnerable communities, including those advocating for Palestinian rights, reproductive freedom, environmental justice, and other causes often at odds with powerful interests. This bill undermines the core principle of the First Amendment: the right to “petition the Government for a redress of grievances” without fear of reprisal. Allowing the incoming administration to wield this bill’s provisions could embolden the President-elect’s stated aim to exact “retribution” against political opponents, using nonprofits as a primary target. The sweeping language of H.R. 9495 would make it easier to limit funding to organizations based on perceived political alignment, setting a dangerous precedent that could silence dissent and weaken democracy. I urge you to stand against this bill and protect the rights of nonprofits and advocacy groups to speak and act freely. Congress should not hand any administration, particularly one committed to punitive measures against its critics, the authority to strip civil society of its essential voice. (https://www.aclu.org/documents/civil-society-letter-to-congress-opposing-hr-9495)