Non-profits would be stripped of tax-exemption if found to be in support of ‘terrorist groups’.
By Noah Vinsky
Original Air Date: December 27, 2024
Host: A new anti-terror law winding its way through U.S. Congress has non-profit news organizations in this area worried. Noah Vinsky tells us why.
Noah Vinsky: There’s a bill currently sitting in the U.S. Congress that could change the makeup of free speech in America.
H.R. 9495 — the Stop Terror Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act — passed through the House of Representatives in November and is currently in the hands of the Senate.
If the bill becomes law, it would instruct the U.S. Treasury to strip non-profits of their tax-exempt status if they were found supporting terrorist groups.
The bill is opposed by several organizations — including the American Civil Liberties Union and Independent Sector, a coalition of nonprofits and foundations. The ACLU’s petition against the bill has over 138,000 signatures as of Friday afternoon.
It could also have implications for local media outlets, giving future administrations more power to censor their critics. Randi Zimmerman is the station manager for WMNF, a non-profit radio station based in Tampa. Even if the bill doesn’t become law, Zimmerman said she is worried about a potential chilling effect for local media outlets.
Randi Zimmerman: I think we are all really wary, because this traditional Congress is not a traditional Congress. The traditional president is not a traditional president. So we have a super majority basically in Congress, in the administration. And I think we’re all very worried about a chilling effect on independent media. I think that is a legitimate issue. Whether this law goes into effect or not, I think independent media has been threatened multiple times in various ways by multiple senators, and Congresspeople and the Trump administration that gives us concern.
NV: She said the law would cause the station to be much more cautious to avoid potential litigation.
RZ: I don’t know if it will silence an organization like WMNF, but it definitely gives us concern that we could be the targets of something that we might have to litigate and defend. And while we have resources, other organizations smaller than us might not have resources, and this may totally put a kibosh on a lot of free speech and what our founders meant us to do in the first amendment.
NV: Donald Trump has historically been combative against the media, escalating his legal attacks against news outlets this past election cycle. After previous litigation attempts against legacy media outlets such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, and CNN, Trump has succeeded in his defamation lawsuit against ABC News, who is set to pay him $15 million.
Trump also filed suit against the Des Moines Register for publishing a poll showing Democratic nominee Kamala Harris leading just days before the election, calling the poll “election-interfering fiction.”
Zimmerman says the bill is straight out of Trump’s playbook.
RZ: Donald Trump has demonstrated in his course of his life that one of his business strategies is to sue people to the extreme, who can not afford to defend themselves in a court of law. And while it is very common for people to say — politicians in particular — if you have nothing to worry about, then you have nothing to worry about. If you’ve done nothing wrong, don’t worry.
I think small organizations like small independent media can be put out by this type of prosecution. I think it is very, very worrisome again, both for independent media and by extension for our nation. Our founders made it clear. It’s the first amendment that we have freedom of the press for a reason, not the second amendment or fourth amendment. It is the first amendment. And yes, I do believe that small local organizations are very nervous that we might have to defend ourselves in court to the extent that we may not be able to.
NV: HR 9495 passed the House by a vote of 219–194. Fifteen Democrats gave the bill the green light, including Florida’s Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who represents much of Broward County.
Even if the bill fails to pass through the senate, it is likely to return in 2025 when the makeup of Congress shifts.
This has been Noah Vinsky for WSLR News.
WSLR News aims to keep the local community informed with our 1/2 hour local news show, quarterly newspaper and social media feeds. The local news broadcast airs on Wednesdays and Fridays at 6pm.