Today, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism urged Congress to oppose H.R. 9495, which would grant the Secretary of the Treasury unilateral power to revoke the tax-exempt status of nonprofits.
https://rac.org/press-room/reform-jewish-leader-urges-congress-protect-nonprofits
In so doing, it joined the ACLU, the conservative libertarian Cato Institute, and other progressive American Jewish groups like Bend the Arc and the New Israel Fund in opposing this dangerous proposal.
EXCERPT from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency article:
The American Civil Liberties Union has been spearheading opposition to the bill with support from voices on both sides of the political spectrum. The libertarian Cato Institute and Reason magazine, for example, have come out against the bill. So have several progressive American Jewish groups such as Bend the Arc and the New Israel Fund.
“This bill is as dangerous as it is extraneous,” the New Israel Fund, which donates to civil society groups in Israel, many of them left-leaning, said in a statement. “The United States already has a meticulous process in place to determine whether a group is providing material support for terrorism. What this would do is strip that system of due process and enable willy-nilly terrorist designations.”
The bill is scheduled for a full vote in the House of Representatives Tuesday, after which it would have to be approved by the Senate and signed by the president.
***************************
Here is the letter from the RAC:
November 18, 2024
Dear Member of Congress,
On behalf of the Reform Jewish movement, including the Union for Reform Judaism encompassing 1.8 million Reform Jews in more than 800 synagogues nationwide, and the Central Conference of American Rabbis including 2,000 rabbis, I write to share our strong opposition to H.R. 9495, the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act.
Though this bill purports to make the nation safer, in fact, it endows the Treasury Secretary with overly broad power that threatens constitutional rights. By allowing the Secretary unilateral authority to designate an American non-profit a “terrorist supporting organization” and to revoke its tax-exempt status, the bill opens the door to potential abuse and politicization of what should be impartial policy decisions.
As the largest denomination in American Jewish life, we appreciate any and all genuine efforts to address rising antisemitism nationwide and to combat terrorism worldwide. However, the provisions of H.R. 9495 that are purportedly meant to address instances where non-profits are supporting terror appear to be a solution in search of a problem. Should an instance occur where a non-profit is thought to be engaging in such unlawful behavior, there is already in place a deliberative and thorough process to review such concerns under Article 18 Section 2339 of the U.S. Code, before applying the appropriate remedy. This current process is less susceptible to political interference or the chilling effect on speech and activity than H.R. 9495 is likely to have should a Treasury Secretary be endowed with virtually unfettered power to remove an organization’s non-profit status.
H.R. 9495 poses a threat to core American values. We urge you to oppose this harmful legislation and vote against it when it comes to the floor.
Sincerely,
Barbara Weinstein Director, Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism
No comments:
Post a Comment