Republican House Plans Second Vote On Legislation To Give Executive Branch Unchecked Powers To Silence Dissent

By Free Press Action Photos: YouTube Screenshots\Wikimedia Commons WASHINGTON — This week, the House of Representatives will vote for the second time since Election Day on H.R. 9495, a bill that would grant the executive branch broad and easily abused powers to swiftly revoke the tax-exempt status of a nonprofit by asserting that it is a “terrorist supporting organization.” According to the legislation, the Treasury Department could make the designation without fundamental due process — without having to produce evidence justifying the decision. In September, Free Press Action joined over 130 civil liberties, religious, reproductive health, immigrant rights, human rights, racial justice, LGBTQIA+, environmental and educational organizations to send a letter to House leadership stating that H.R. 9495 would hand the executive branch “a tool it could use to curb free speech, censor nonprofit media outlets, target political opponents, and punish disfavored groups across the political spectrum.” Last week, the legislation failed on a “suspension” vote, a procedural mechanism that required a two-thirds majority to pass. (Exactly one-third of the House of Representatives — 144 Democrats and 1 Republican — voted against the bill.) This week’s vote will require only a simple majority to pass.& Free Press Action Policy Counsel...