House GOP Pushes Bill Allowing Trump to Target Nonprofits

House Republicans are set to advance a bill this week that would provide the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump with extensive powers to probe and potentially dissolve nonprofit organizations, including media entities and humanitarian groups.

The proposed legislation, known as H.R. 9495, did not succeed in the House last week despite having bipartisan backing, as Republican leaders attempted to fast-track it, which requires a two-thirds majority. The vote saw support from over 50 Democrats, including notable figures like Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), alongside 204 Republicans.

This attempt involves pushing the bill through the standard legislative process, allowing it to pass with a mere majority. The House Rules Committee, controlled by Republicans, has scheduled a markup session for H.R. 9495 on Monday.

Upon hearing about the upcoming hearing, various advocacy groups that previously opposed the bill intensified their efforts to highlight the severe consequences it could have on freedom of speech and the right to oppose—especially under a leader with authoritarian tendencies who has promised to target his political adversaries.

“We thought we had stopped it, but the bill is back,” posted the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights on social media during the weekend. “Lawmakers are trying to push through H.R. 9495, a draconian bill that could close down nonprofits and student organizations that support Palestinian rights.”

If enacted, this legislation would empower the Treasury Department to independently revoke the tax-exempt status of nonprofits by labeling them as terrorism supporters. As of now, Trump has yet to name his choice for the head of the Treasury Department.

The ACLU has criticized the bill, claiming that although it allows a short period for targeted nonprofits to defend themselves, it essentially offers no real due process. The government could withhold its reasoning and evidence, leaving organizations no way to contest the accusations.

Abby Maxman, president and CEO of Oxfam America, expressed concern after the bill’s revival, stating that H.R. 9495 “would give the Trump administration, and potentially future administrations, the power to suppress and censor critics, restrict free speech, target political rivals, and penalize essential organizations that challenge authority and provide aid globally.”

“This legislation could significantly expand presidential powers at the cost of our civil liberties, potentially affecting not just organizations like Oxfam, but also other nonprofits, media outlets, and academic institutions that express dissent,” Maxman stated. “It could jeopardize our efforts to address severe humanitarian emergencies and hinder our ability to deliver vital assistance to some of the planet’s most vulnerable populations.”

“This bill employs tactics we’ve observed used by other nations to quash dissent. Now, it’s emerging here,” Maxman continued. “We implore the House of Representatives to discard this perilous bill and safeguard our free speech and right to oppose.”

The prospects for H.R. 9495 in the Democrat-led U.S. Senate remain uncertain, as does the likelihood of President Joe Biden signing it into law if it clears the House. However, with Republicans poised to take complete control of Congress and the White House in January, they could potentially push the legislation forward at that time.

“Their haste in bringing this bill back is purely to augment Trump’s authority, while Trump’s recent nominees for critical national security positions reveal his intentions for using this power,” Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), a vocal critic of the bill, told The Intercept last Friday.