Action Alert: They’re voting now, so call now!

Our thanks to Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest for this action alert.

Congress is currently working on the budget in committees and have proposed several things that would be detrimental to nonprofits and the individuals they serve nationwide. 

The items of concern include:

• The executive branch being given authority to revoke nonprofit status from organizations without due process

• New or expanded taxes on nonprofit organizations

• Adding work requirements for Medicaid

• Reducing or cutting SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) 

One committee, the Ways and Means Committee will vote on some of these items tomorrow. Congressman Juan Ciscomani and Congressman David Schweikert sit on this committee.

 Our friends at Arizona Impact for Good shared the below advocacy information regarding the action to take before the vote tomorrow:

 Please urge your representatives to:

•  OPPOSE granting unprecedented authority to the executive branch to revoke nonprofit status from organizations without due process. This provision allows administrations to target charitable nonprofits based on ideological grounds.

• OPPOSE new or expanded taxes on nonprofit organizations, including private foundations. These proposals divert scarce resources away from essential services, undermine the ability of charitable nonprofit organizations to meet needs in their communities, and put greater strain on government. See the National Council of Nonprofits’ one-pager on protecting nonprofits in tax reconciliation for more information.

• SUPPORT and EXPAND tax incentives for charitable giving. Congress should include in the tax reconciliation bill the Charitable Act, introduced by Sen. Lankford (R-OK) and Rep. Moore (R-UT), to create a non-itemizer tax incentive for charitable donations to nonprofit organizations. See NCN’s one-pager on the Charitable Act and factsheet on the nonprofit sector for more information.

 Advocate TODAY!

To address these concerns and the ones surrounding SNAP and Medicaid, you can call your representatives and ask your Congressman to do the following:

• Oppose the revocation of nonprofit status without due process

• Oppose new/expanded taxes on nonprofits

• Support tax incentives for charitable giving

• Oppose Medicaid work requirements

• Oppose cuts to SNAP or sending the responsibility to the states.

 Calling is very important now as the need is urgent. Calling can seem intimidating, but simply tell the assistant who answers that you wish to voice your position. They will listen, take your statement down, and thank you for your call. 

The home page of all Congresspersons have contact information for their local and D.C. offices, which include phone numbers. If you don't know which district you are in, you can enter your address to find out here.

Anticipated Schedule for the Week of May 11th:

• Sunday May 11

• Energy & Commerce text available, midnight (anticipated)

• Monday May 12

• Agriculture text available (anticipated) 

• Ways & Means text available (anticipated)

• Tuesday May 13

• 2pm Ways & Means (anticipated) 

• 2pm Energy & Commerce markup begins

• 7pm Agriculture Committee markup  begins

• Wednesday May 14

• Agriculture Committee markup (continued)

• Energy & Commerce markup (continued)

• Ways & Means markup (continued)

• Friday May 16

• Budget Committee markup