The Freedom From Religion Foundation is pleased by the defeat of HR 9495 in the U.S. House — a bill that, if passed, could have been weaponized to remove the tax-exempt status of nonprofit organizations based on subjective “terrorist” designations.
While stopping terror financing is a priority we all support, the bill’s vague provisions opened the door to partisan abuse, since any administration could label disfavored groups as “terrorist organizations” and target their supporting nonprofits. This is a particularly concerning prospect given the uncertain political landscape, where personal biases and changing leadership could weaponize such authority against organizations advocating for reproductive rights, civil liberties or secular values. With this vote, Congress has wisely avoided handing over unchecked power to the executive branch that could threaten the integrity of nonprofits across the ideological spectrum.
FFRF remains committed to defending the rights and independence of all nonprofit organizations from politically motivated threats. We thank our members and supporters who took action to voice these concerns and protect the vital work nonprofits perform in our society.
