![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
livingdebOf course no one wants to support terrorists (well, except maybe some other terrorists). So it would make sense to find and arrest suspected terrorists for their crimes. But HR 9495 is meant to just make sure their tax-exempt organizations start paying taxes. Supposedly. Actually, it's meant to terrorize nonprofits that don't agree with Trump. Here's how Lloyd Doggett, my US Representative, describes it.
This bill would have enabled Trump through his Treasury Secretary to effectively shut down any tax-exempt organization based on a unilateral accusation of “terrorism,” even though that group had done nothing illegal. The tax-exempt status can be revoked without presenting a shred of evidence, without offering any specific reason, without providing any hearing, and without any meaningful right of appeal, no matter how capricious, no matter how unjustified the claim.
All of this is done in the name of stopping financial support for terrorists. Like all of us, of course, I oppose terrorism and do not want to be mischaracterized as pro-terrorist by my adversaries. Trump’s list of targets would only be limited by his imagination, not any guardrails. Trump could target organizations that assist refugees for harboring “terrorists,” a hospital that permits the alleged “terror” of abortion, an environmental group mislabeled as “ecoterrorists,” a private university that permits too many anti-Trump protests, think tanks with the audacity to think differently, groups fighting Christian Nationalism or simply any tax-exempt group not viewed as sufficiently pro-MAGA.
We cannot lay down in response to the threat he poses. While I was able to marshal enough Democratic votes to stop this measure last night, the challenge presented by a Trump administration certainly remains with us. I will work together with all of goodwill for progress but will not back down from defending our values and advancing reasonable alternatives to the many dangerous policies that Trump has proclaimed.
Okay, that's not how justice is supposed to work in our country. We are supposed to get fair trials, based on evidence. This sort of strategy is how we treat non-citizen suspected terrorists (which I also think is wrong). This sort of thing feels like step 1 toward a society where citizens are to rat each other out. Well, step 2 in Texas, where you're supposed to rat out people who want abortions for any reason at all.
The ACLU and Oxfam America oppose this obstruction of free speech. Independent Sector, a pro-nonprofit group, has more details on this bill.
This particular vote was some weird situation where the vote was whether to STOP this bill, and where because of some budget weirdness, a two-thirds majority was required. You can find out how your Representative voted (e.g., Rep. Doggett voted Yay to stop the bill). Doggett says, 'undoubtedly it will be back because Trump’s thirst for unlimited power can never be quenched.' So consider writing or calling your Representative to tell that person how you feel about their vote (or lack thereof) and what you, as their constituent, want them to do if/when this comes up again. Or at least remember this if they ask you to vote to keep them in office.
I'm using a new tag today, authoritarian. Avoid anything with this tag if you need to in order to stay out of depression.
This bill would have enabled Trump through his Treasury Secretary to effectively shut down any tax-exempt organization based on a unilateral accusation of “terrorism,” even though that group had done nothing illegal. The tax-exempt status can be revoked without presenting a shred of evidence, without offering any specific reason, without providing any hearing, and without any meaningful right of appeal, no matter how capricious, no matter how unjustified the claim.
All of this is done in the name of stopping financial support for terrorists. Like all of us, of course, I oppose terrorism and do not want to be mischaracterized as pro-terrorist by my adversaries. Trump’s list of targets would only be limited by his imagination, not any guardrails. Trump could target organizations that assist refugees for harboring “terrorists,” a hospital that permits the alleged “terror” of abortion, an environmental group mislabeled as “ecoterrorists,” a private university that permits too many anti-Trump protests, think tanks with the audacity to think differently, groups fighting Christian Nationalism or simply any tax-exempt group not viewed as sufficiently pro-MAGA.
We cannot lay down in response to the threat he poses. While I was able to marshal enough Democratic votes to stop this measure last night, the challenge presented by a Trump administration certainly remains with us. I will work together with all of goodwill for progress but will not back down from defending our values and advancing reasonable alternatives to the many dangerous policies that Trump has proclaimed.
Okay, that's not how justice is supposed to work in our country. We are supposed to get fair trials, based on evidence. This sort of strategy is how we treat non-citizen suspected terrorists (which I also think is wrong). This sort of thing feels like step 1 toward a society where citizens are to rat each other out. Well, step 2 in Texas, where you're supposed to rat out people who want abortions for any reason at all.
The ACLU and Oxfam America oppose this obstruction of free speech. Independent Sector, a pro-nonprofit group, has more details on this bill.
This particular vote was some weird situation where the vote was whether to STOP this bill, and where because of some budget weirdness, a two-thirds majority was required. You can find out how your Representative voted (e.g., Rep. Doggett voted Yay to stop the bill). Doggett says, 'undoubtedly it will be back because Trump’s thirst for unlimited power can never be quenched.' So consider writing or calling your Representative to tell that person how you feel about their vote (or lack thereof) and what you, as their constituent, want them to do if/when this comes up again. Or at least remember this if they ask you to vote to keep them in office.
I'm using a new tag today, authoritarian. Avoid anything with this tag if you need to in order to stay out of depression.