Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) has introduced legislation aimed at revoking the federal tax-exempt status of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), arguing that the prominent Muslim advocacy group should not benefit from American tax breaks due to alleged ties to terrorism.
The bill, titled the No Tax-Exemptions for Terror Act, specifically seeks to strip CAIR of its 501(c)(3) designation. If passed, the organization would no longer be treated as a charitable non-profit under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, effectively subjecting it to standard taxation.
Scott announced the filing on Thursday, joined by co-sponsor Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). Both lawmakers framed the move as a necessary step to stop federal subsidies for groups they claim are connected to extremist activity.
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“Groups like CAIR, which identify as charities yet have been identified by the FBI as having ties to terrorist activity, don’t deserve special tax treatment or get breaks designed for charitable organizations,” Scott said in a statement. “Period. My bill makes that clear by revoking their tax-exempt status. America fights terrorists, we do not fund them.”
The legislation is brief but direct.
The text of the bill explicitly names the Council on American-Islamic Relations and mandates that, effective immediately upon enactment, the group “shall not be treated as described in section 501(c)(3).”
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Senator Blackburn echoed Scott’s sentiments, stating that the tax code should not reward organizations with alleged links to hostile actors.
“It goes without saying that organizations tied to terrorism should not receive tax benefits,” Blackburn said. “The No Tax Exemptions for Terror Act would ensure radical groups like the Council on American-Islamic Relations are not rewarded for doing the bidding of terrorists.”
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