Congress: Protect The Right to Dissent

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11/19/24 UPDATE: After thousands of people made their voices heard, the House of Representatives narrowly blocked H.R. 9495. Unfortunately, it is set to be voted on again this Thursday (11/21). Tell Congress to vote NO on this bill.

In a clear reaction to pro-Palestine protests, the House might pass legislation that would hand the government a dangerous tool to stifle free speech and punish disfavored groups. We must take action. This bill (H.R. 9495) gives the executive branch the authority to effectively dismantle any nonprofit organization it deems to have provided "material support" to terrorist groups and the potential for abuse under this law is staggering.

We've already seen government officials conflate protesting students with Hamas or other terrorist groups. It isn't a stretch to imagine how this bill could be used to pressure universities to shut down student groups and further criminalize dissent in this country. Knowing the U.S. government's long history of abusive and discriminatory material support investigations and prosecutions in the post-9/11 era – disproportionately against Muslims and charities – we cannot allow this bill to pass. Tell your representatives to vote no on H.R. 9495.

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Your U.S. House Representatives

Message Recipients:

Your U.S. House Representatives

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Your Message

Subject Vote No on H.R. 9495. Protect Our Freedom to Dissent.

I'm writing as your constituent today urging you to vote no on bill H.R. 9495 – a bill that at its core would enable current and future presidential administrations to stifle free speech, target political opponents, and punish disfavored groups.

The bill would give the executive branch the authority to effectively dismantle any nonprofit organization deemed to have provided "material support" to terrorist groups – without due process. And an authoritarian-leaning executive branch could take advantage of the vague definition of material support to target nonprofits based on their political advocacy and other activities protected by the First Amendment.

Message Body

The facts are clear: H.R. 9495 will not keep us safe. Instead, it could be used to chill political advocacy and target organizations that express viewpoints the government doesn't like. I'm urging you to protect due process and our democratic values by voting against this dangerous bill.

Sincerely,

[First Name] [Last Name]

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Congress: Protect The Right to Dissent

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