Cutting federal funding to non-government organizations has been one of the focuses for Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz in recent weeks as he gets ready to defend his seat against challenger Gat Valimont in November 5.
In early October, Getz introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives the "Blocking Assistance and Resources to Restrict Illegal Entry and Residency Act of 2024," also known as the BARRIER Act, which aims to restrict federal financial assistance to organizations and groups that, in his words, "help migrants illegally enter the U.S. or give assistance to migrants unlawfully residing here."
With just a few days until the elections, Gaetz is now pushing for another reform on non-profits, with the aim to terminate the tax-exempt status of some of these organizations.
In what he calls the "Helping Americans by Restricting Resources to Immigrant Services" Act, or HARRIS Act, the new bill would strip tax-exempt status from organizations "aiding and abetting the U.S. border invasion," Gaetz said in a statement.
Gaetz said that if non-profits want to receive "special treatment" under the U.S.'s tax code, "they should focus on doing genuine charity for genuine Americans, not illegal aliens."
Representatives Randy Weber (R-TX), Lauren Boebert (R-CO) and Andy Biggs (R-AZ) co-sponsored the bill.
Together, both initiatives hope to discourage non-profits from continuing to help migrants across the U.S.-Mexico border, a similar strategy to that of a Texas official in recent months.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has targeted at least five organizations of the kind, with the most high-profile effort being aimed at the Annunciation House, a Catholic charity helping migrants in the state. Paxton's decision to launch an investigation around the group granted Pope Francis to speak on the matter, who called it a "sheer madness to close the border".
"The migrant has to be received. Thereafter, you see how you're going to deal with them. Maybe after you send them back, I don't know. But each case ought to be considered humanely, right?" Pope Francis said in an interview with CBS News' 60 Minutes in May.
Gaetz's election challenger
On November 5, Florida's 1st Congressional District will be contested between incumbent Gaetz and Democratic challenger Gay Valimont. Gaetz is poised to win reelection, as Republicans registered in the district outnumber Democrats by more than 184,000 votes, according to stats from Florida's Division of Elections.
Since Early Hutto, who served as the district's representative for almost two decades, retired in 1995, no Democratic candidate has been elected to represent Escambia, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties in the House of Representatives.
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