Rise Economy Chief Executive Officer Paulina Gonzalez-Brito issued the following statement today in response to the the passage of HR 9495 in the U.S. House of Representatives:

We have just been given a hint of what lies ahead with a new Congress and the Trump Administration

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed HR 9495, a bill that threatens the fundamental rights of nonprofits, news outlets, universities, free speech and civil society as a whole. Rise Economy strongly opposes this problematic legislation as it would give the US Secretary of the Treasury unilateral power to strip tax-exempt status from organizations based on vague and unproven allegations of “terrorist-supporting” activities — without requiring any evidence or due process.

This bill goes beyond addressing terrorism — it opens the door for the incoming administration to potentially suppress dissent and target organizations it disagrees with.  

Critically, it is already illegal for any organization found to have supported terrorist groups to be granted tax-exempt status. HR 9495 goes beyond existing law, removing the requirement that the government prove its allegations and stripping organizations of their status based solely on the discretion of the Treasury Secretary. Once designated, these organizations would have to appeal through a flawed process that lacks a neutral decisionmaker while their essential work is disrupted or shut down.

We understand that last minute pressure from advocates for the rights to free speech and non violent protest were able to sway enough votes so that the Senate is unlikely to take up this bill now, and the bill’s future is uncertain. But we will be vigilant in our fight against this bill and similar measures to attack the most vulnerable and upend democratic principles. 

During challenging times, we draw strength from our members and allies. This was evident last week at our Action and Advocacy Conference, where advocates, community leaders, and policymakers came together to consider bold solutions for urgent problems. Legislation like HR 9495 undermines that collective spirit and the ability of organizations like ours to serve ourcommunities.

We urge members of the Senate to reject this bill and stand against attempts to dismantle civil society under the guise of combating terrorism.