Opinion | Katya Yindra
H.R. 9495, the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act, is the latest attack on the Palestine Solidarity Movement and democratic rights. The bill grants the Secretary of the Treasury unilateral authority to revoke the tax-exempt status of nonprofits accused of providing “material support” to organizations the US deems as terrorists. Framed as a counterterrorism measure, it passed the House in a 219–184 vote, with 15 Democrats supporting the Republicans. In order to become a law, it must still pass the Senate, where its future is unclear.
The bill represents a continuation of the post-9/11 War on Terror and the Patriot Act, which uses nebulous definitions of terrorism to justify expanding state surveillance and repression particularly aimed at anti-imperialist causes. While provisions of the Patriot Act already allow for the prosecution of material support for terrorism, H.R. 9495 deepens the trend of reactionization by allowing the Treasury Secretary to label organizations as “terrorist-supporting” without providing concrete evidence. This reversal of due process shifts the burden of proof entirely onto nonprofits, making them guilty until proven innocent.
H.R. 9495 is yet another flagrant example of repression targeting the Palestine Solidarity Movement. Just last week, the House passed a resolution condemning the “global rise of antisemitism,” which in practice serves to delegitimize criticism of the US-Israel genocide of the Palestinian people and provide a basis to ramp up repression. For example, it has framed mass demonstrations for Palestinian liberation as “antisemitic threats,” which has been used to justify the violent police crackdown on university protests earlier this year.
Last month, the US Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned the Palestinian prisoner support network Samidoun over alleged material support for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Back in January, this repression manifested as the US pausing funding for UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) over claims that its workers participated in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
Due to its ability to police and punish Palestine solidarity activists, H.R. 9495 initially enjoyed broader bipartisan support when it was introduced in September of this year. In its original iteration, the bill passed the House with overwhelming support from the Democrats. However, after Donald Trump’s election, Democratic enthusiasm waned, as their favored face of repression would no longer be advancing this agenda.
Meanwhile, Israel continues to engage in state terrorism—from bombing civilians to deploying explosive pager bombs in Lebanon—receiving praise from the US instead of scrutiny. The US designation of “terrorist” reflects its political aims to justify attacking vs supporting various groups rather than any consistent regard for human rights. Groups are added or removed from the list based on their alignment with US foreign policy objectives, exemplified by the Mujahideen in Afghanistan and the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK), who have alternated between being labeled “freedom fighters” and “terrorists” depending on US interests.
H.R. 9495 epitomizes two unraveling trends that promise great confrontations ahead. On one side, wealth and power are becoming increasingly concentrated in fewer hands, leading to greater restrictions of democratic rights and heightened oppression. On the other side, mass discontent is growing more explosive, the anti-imperialist movement is developing greater cohesion internationally, and the need to organize this trend into a powerful torrent against imperialism is becoming ever more urgent.
Photo: Congressman David Kustoff speaking on the House floor in defense of H.R. 9495.
