Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I also stand in opposition to this bill, which would provide the administration sweeping, unilateral authority to designate nonprofits as terror-supporting organizations and strip them of their tax-exempt status with no due process and without sufficient evidence. The authorities provided in this bill are unnecessary and dangerous in the wrong hands. The legislation would do nothing to improve our ability to combat terrorism, as there are already numerous legal mechanisms which effectively monitor and penalize nonprofits that provide support for terrorist organizations. No one serving in this institution wants a single dollar to find its way into the hands of a terrorist group, and it is inappropriate to suggest otherwise, but in the hands of a responsible government, the powers provided in this bill are merely redundant. However, Mr. Speaker, history is uncertain. Democracies, even ours, can wax and wane. Sometimes we have great Presidents, and sometimes we do not. Under the leadership of an unscrupulous authoritarian, it is not hard to imagine how an administration could use the powers in this bill to hinder or dismantle organizations that its leader does not like. Mr.…”