Opinion

Urgent actions to take this week to stop a bill giving Trump unchecked power to destroy nonprofits

38 seconds ago
by Vu Le
Written by Vu Le

The Trump administration has already started attacking nonprofits, two months before they’re even in office. You may have heard of the bill (H.R. 9495) that would allow the government to terminate the tax-exempt status of nonprofits by giving the Secretary of Treasury the authority to designate any org a “terrorist-supporting organization.”

H.R. 9495, if it passes, is an effective way to neutralize nonprofits that take any actions to protest against the incoming government’s horrific agenda, which we know so far includes fast-tracking genocide, gutting social security, removing the citizenship of and deporting immigrants, shuttering the department of education, and banning abortions nationwide.

Shutting down nonprofits that protest against injustice by marking them as supporting terrorism is a violation of the First Amendment and a glimpse into the incoming administration’s fascist intentions. The bill was put to a vote last week and did not pass. But they are trying again. This WEDNESDAY* (Nov 20) morning, it will go to a full house vote, and just needs a simple majority to pass, unlike last week, when they needed a 2/3 majority. (*originally it was Thursday Nov 21)

WE MUST ALL TAKE ACTION! Here are some things you can do immediately. Please rally everyone in your networks. This bill poses a grave existential threat to our sector, and is a terrifying vision of the future if we don’t do everything we can to prevent it.

Thank you to Rusty Stahl from Fund the People for sounding the alarm and compiling resources, including the actions and script below:

YOU CAN HELP DEFEAT this bill with 2 easy actions BEFORE THIS THURSDAY:

(1) Join 35,000 Americans who have signed the petition against H.R. 9495. Sign now: https://lnkd.in/gAupWREr

(2) Call the 52 Democrats who voted FOR the bill last week to urge them to vote NO this Thursday!

  • Look below to see if you are represented by one of these 52 Democrats who voted YES.
  • Call or email their Capitol Hill office every day through Thursday 11/21/24!
  • Dial the Capitol Switchboard to be connected to your Rep’s office: (202) 224-3121.
  • If you or your board members or donors have relationships with them or their staff, reach out personally!
  • Be authentic and passionate. There is a script available below you can work from

Here are the 52 Democrats Who Voted YES on 9495 Last Week:

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Read full article here.

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About the author

Vu Le

Vu Le (“voo lay”) is a writer, speaker, vegan, Pisces, and the former Executive Director of RVC, a nonprofit in Seattle that promotes social justice by developing leaders of color, strengthening organizations led by communities of color, and fostering collaboration between diverse communities.

Vu’s passion to make the world better, combined with a low score on the Law School Admission Test, drove him into the field of nonprofit work, where he learned that we should take the work seriously, but not ourselves. There’s tons of humor in the nonprofit world, and someone needs to document it. He is going to do that, with the hope that one day, a TV producer will see how cool and interesting our field is and make a show about nonprofit work, featuring attractive actors attending strategic planning meetings and filing 990 tax forms.

Known for his no-BS approach, irreverent sense of humor, and love of unicorns, Vu has been featured in dozens, if not hundreds, of his own blog posts at NonprofitAF.com.

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