This bill would enable Trump to single-handedly nuke any nonprofit in America

A bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives is pressing ahead with a terrifying bill that would give the Trump administration unilateral authority to strip the nonprofit status of any organization that criticizes or questions him, including The Intercept.

The bill, titled the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act, would grant the Treasury secretary power to revoke the tax-exempt status of any nonprofit deemed to be “terrorist supporting.”

Once that happens, the group wouldn’t be able to collect donations, pay staff, or get banking services. Trump wouldn’t have to provide evidence or even an explanation. The administration could simply issue a notice, and the organization would be effectively shut down.

Believe it or not, 52 House Democrats voted for it.

Make no mistake: If this bill is signed into law — and with a Republican trifecta only weeks away, that is a very real possibility — The Intercept and every nonprofit organization in America that dares to stand up to Trump will be in existential danger.

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Up until now, debate around this legislation has focused primarily on the risk to pro-Palestine organizations, and pro-Israel groups have lobbied in support.

But this bill could be used against any nonprofit organization that the Trump administration wishes to suppress — including nonprofit investigative journalism outfits like The Intercept. Targeted organizations would have the right to appeal the “terrorist supporting” designation within 90 days, after which they would be stripped of their nonprofit status.

Suffice it to say, it is already very illegal to provide material support for terrorism. The effect and intent of this bill is to chill speech and silence dissent.

For technical procedural reasons, the House needed a two-thirds majority to pass the bill last Tuesday, but House Republicans are already preparing to bring it back up for a vote this week — and with leading Democrats like Adam Schiff and Debbie Wasserman Schultz on board, it may be only a matter of time before this draconian assault on free speech goes into law.

The Trump administration and other pro-Israel politicians would love nothing more than to muzzle The Intercept, but we know readers like you won’t let that happen.

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