The House has passed H.R. 9495, the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act, a controversial piece of legislation that would allow the U.S. Treasury Secretary to strip tax-exempt status from nonprofits that are deemed as “terrorist supporting.” Many view the legislation as an attempt to crack down on the Palestine movement, which has faced increasing suppression since Israel began its genocidal assault on Gaza in October 2023.
The final vote was 219-184. Every Republican voted for the bill besides Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY). 15 Democrats voted for the measure, down from 52 when the bill was voted on earlier this month. The final vote of that effort was 256-145, but it required a two-thirds majority in order to pass because GOP lawmakers were trying to pass the bill on a suspension vote. A previous version of the bill cleared the House in April by a vote of 382-11.
A number of organizations and lawmakers have already expressed concern over the developmen