GREGORY TOSI: Giving The Secretary Of State More Power Could Seriously Backfire

The shocking attack by Hamas on innocent Israelis last October 7 has revived concerns about terrorism and the threat to American lives and interests.

Understandably, policymakers in Washington are searching for ways to limit resources available to terrorists. But in one case, lawmakers are going too far. A well-intentioned bill in Congress would eliminate the tax-exempt status of charitable organizations that the secretary of State deems to support terrorist activities. The legislation gives the secretary extraordinary and potentially dangerous powers.

The bill, H.R. 6408, which revokes “the tax-exempt status for any organization that provides financial support or resources to designated terrorist groups,” has passed the House of Representatives and is awaiting action in the Senate. It should not be enacted into law.

The measure sounds sensible on the surface. But it isn’t, especially in light of the ways President Joe Biden’s Justice Department has used its prosecutorial authority for blatantly political purposes. Exhibit #1: the federal indictments against former President Donald Trump.

H.R. 6408 is framed as antiterrorism legislation, but it would open the door to similar executive branch overreach. It would permit a political appointee to designate organizations with which they disagree as “terrorist supporting organizations” without requiring any certainty or clarity about what is — or is not — a terrorist. Such unchecked discretion in the hands of a single political actor could be used as a bludgeon against political enemies.

Domestic political organizations whose members do things the secretary of state dislikes could be threatened with a serious, expensive sanction. This is not an America anyone wants.