Kustoff Op-Ed: Congress Must Scrub Terrorism from the Tax Code
By: Congressman David Kustoff
On the morning of October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists carried out a horrific attack on Israel that resulted in the death of more than 1,200 innocent Israeli civilians and 30 Americans. Since then, we have seen a dramatic rise in antisemitism and anti-Israel-motivated attacks here at home and around the world.
In the U.S., antisemitic incidents have spiked almost 400% since last October, most recently on Ivy League campuses. Leadership at these colleges and universities allowed protests to descend into total chaos. At Columbia University, Jewish students were told at one point to remain at home for their safety.
Globally, Iran’s recent direct attack on Israel was another stark reminder of the threat Iran and its proxy terrorist groups, including Hamas, pose to America, our allies, and the Western world. Acts of terrorism will not be tolerated. We must do everything in our power to wipe the evils of terrorism off the face of this Earth and eradicate terrorism wherever it exists.
The global fight against terrorism and extremism is multifaceted. A crucial pillar of this is preventing terrorist groups from accessing the resources and financing they need to carry out attacks in the first place. Unfortunately, financial support for terrorism may be coming from right here at home.
Recent reports indicate there are U.S.-based nonprofit organizations suspected of providing support and funding to terrorist groups, including Hamas. Many of these organizations have special 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status which allows their donors to claim a tax deduction. To put it plainly, domestic financers of terrorism are currently being subsidized by U.S. taxpayer dollars.
Nonprofit organizations are meant to provide a benefit to members of our society, not aid in the spread of antisemitic violence and terrorism. The fact that Americans may be unknowingly donating to organizations that support terrorism is disgraceful.
Right now, our ability to crack down on tax-exempt organizations that support terrorism is inadequate. Doing so under current law requires a time-consuming bureaucratic process that has sometimes prevented federal authorities from acting.
For these reasons, I introduced bipartisan legislation, H.R. 6408, with my Ways and Means Committee colleague, Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL). This bill would revoke the tax-exempt status of any organization that provides financial support or resources to designated terrorist groups. H.R. 6408 passed unanimously out of the House Ways and Means Committee and passed the House of Representatives with a bipartisan vote of 382-11.
Under no circumstances should organizations supporting terrorism be allowed to receive preferential treatment under the U.S. tax code. The House has done its part. Now, the U.S. Senate must pass this important legislation to significantly diminish the ability of Hamas and other terrorist groups to finance their operations and carry out future attacks.
David Kustoff is a U.S. representative for Tennessee and serves on the House Ways and Means Committee.
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