A controversial ‘non-profit organization killer” bill is back on track after being blocked earlier this week.

A majority of Democrats in the House of Representatives rejected the bill on Tuesday out of fear that it could give President-elect Donald Trump the legal tools to attack his ideological enemies, but Republicans moved quickly.

The Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act, which would give the Treasury Secretary the authority to designate any nonprofit as a “terrorist supporting organization” and revoke its tax-exempt status, will go to the Commission be submitted for Regulations. Monday for a hearing that could push the bill for another vote.

The hearing was announced Thursday evening, just two days after 144 Democrats and one Republican voted against the bill as part of an expedited parliamentary procedure that required a two-thirds majority.

The bill, also known as HR 9495, has drawn scathing criticism from a broad coalition of organizations who say its sponsors are using it as a tool to crack down on free speech — especially speech in support of Palestine. In a joint statement earlier this week, a coalition of Arab-American and Muslim organizations vowed to continue fighting the bill.

“This bill was intended to criminalize organizations and activists who oppose US unconditional support for Israel’s genocide of Palestinians and slaughter of Lebanese civilians,” said the statement, which was signed by the Council on American- Islamic Relations, American Muslims for Palestine. and others. “We will remain steadfast in protecting the freedom of all organizations to speak and operate without fear of political retaliation.”

Offices for the chairman and ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee, through which the bill must pass, did not respond to requests for comment.

As pro-Israel groups lobbied for the bill, it became popular among Democrats in the House of Representatives, partly thanks to a provision that offered tax relief to Americans held hostage abroad.

“Their rush to reconsider this bill is solely intended to give Trump more and more power.”

Trump’s reelection, however, galvanized opponents, including Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, who led the charge to reject the bill on Tuesday. Doggett doubled down Thursday after learning of the newly scheduled Rules Committee hearing.

“In this mislabeled bill, House Republicans are hiding behind hostages,” Doggett said in a statement to The Intercept. “Their rush to reconsider this bill is solely intended to give Trump more and more power, as Trump’s nominees for key national security posts indicate this week how he will use them.”

Simple majority to pass

Doggett and other Democratic opponents of the bill face an uphill battle to stop the legislation for good. They were only able to block it on Tuesday because HR 9495 was put to a vote in the House of Representatives under a suspension of the rules. a two-thirds majority to vote.

Ultimately, 144 Democrats voted no, along with Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., narrowly meeting the threshold to block the bill from fast-tracking passage. 204 Republicans and 52 Democrats voted in favor. The narrow loss — because so many Democrats supported the bill and opponents were left with no votes — sparked outrage among bill supporters like Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., who had spoken in favor of the bill before the vote.

“This shameful partisan game only derails efforts to stop the abuse of the U.S. tax code by terrorist organizations,” Smith said in a statement released Wednesday by the House Ways and Means Committee. “Going forward, I encourage our Democratic colleagues to put the defense of our nation and the needs of American taxpayers first.”

Civil liberties groups that had long opposed the bill hailed the vote to block it as a victory, albeit a fleeting one.

The bill is scheduled for a hearing on Monday, known as a markup session, during which committee members can briefly discuss the legislation and propose changes. If a majority of committee members approve the bill, either in its original or amended form, a new vote in the House of Representatives would take place.

This time it would likely be submitted to a simple majority. With Republicans in control of the House and about 52 Democratic lawmakers showing their support by voting for it on Tuesday, the bill would almost certainly pass.

However, Doggett remained resolute: “We Democrats can either put up a Yield Right of Way sign or push back and do everything we can to protect civil society and our freedoms.”