The Middle East Forum has assembled a broad, nonpartisan coalition of advocacy organizations behind H.R. 8236, the Designating Hamas Affiliates in America Act. The coalition’s co-signed letter urges members of Congress to co-sponsor and pass the bill, which directs the U.S. Department of the Treasury to list the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization.

The coalition unites a nonpartisan alliance spanning Middle Eastern diaspora communities, faith-based advocacy groups, Muslim civil-rights and Islamic-reform organizations, media watchdogs, legal associations, human-rights defenders, and policy-action institutions. Their missions differ — but their position on CAIR does not. Each coalition member cites CAIR’s record of bigotry and extremism and its documented links to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas.

“This coalition spans faith communities, reform advocates, and national-security researchers. It also crosses party lines — proof that opposing CAIR is not a partisan stance but an American consensus.”
— Benjamin Baird, Director, MEF Action

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) introduced H.R. 8236 by detailing CAIR’s origins as an accused Hamas front, its status as an unindicted co-conspirator in a federal terror-finance case, and the terrorism-related crimes of individuals connected to the organization.

Bipartisan Record of CAIR Condemnation
George W. Bush Administration
The FBI barred formal outreach to CAIR following the terror-finance investigation, a policy the Obama administration subsequently maintained.
Obama Administration
FBI’s no-outreach policy to CAIR was preserved, reflecting continuity across party lines on the organization’s links to extremist networks.
2023 — Biden White House
The Biden administration publicly disavowed CAIR after its national director praised Hamas’s October 7 attacks on Israel.
2025 — Florida & Texas Governors
Gov. DeSantis of Florida and Gov. Abbott of Texas moved against CAIR by executive action, declaring it a transnational criminal organization linked to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Maryland — Democratic Attorney General
A Democratic attorney general in Maryland removed two successive CAIR members from a state hate-crimes commission, underscoring the bipartisan nature of concerns about the group.

The bill’s passage would carry sweeping consequences for CAIR’s operations and finances. The coalition letter demonstrates that a Specially Designated Global Terrorism listing is legally sound and consistent with precedent — noting that at least nine domestic nonprofits have been designated since the September 11 attacks and have lost their tax exemptions as a result.

Key Provisions of H.R. 8236
1
Asset Freeze H.R. 8236 directs Treasury to freeze all CAIR assets upon designation as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization.
2
501(c)(3) Revocation CAIR’s federal tax-exempt nonprofit status would be revoked, cutting off a critical source of financial infrastructure.
3
U.S. Transaction Bar U.S. persons — individuals, businesses, and institutions — would be legally barred from transacting with CAIR.
4
Independent Treasury Authority Co-sponsoring the legislation signals congressional support for Treasury to independently designate CAIR under existing statutory authority — even prior to final passage.
“Republican governors, Democratic attorneys general, and presidential administrations of opposing parties reached the same conclusion about CAIR. This coalition reflects that bipartisan record.”
— Gregg Roman, Executive Director, Middle East Forum
Coalition Co-Signatories Include
Middle East ForumPolicy Research · Lead Organizer
AMMWECAmerican Muslims Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council
MEF ActionNational Advocacy & Government Affairs
Middle Eastern Diaspora OrganizationsDiaspora Community Advocates
Faith-Based Advocacy GroupsInterfaith Civil Society
Islamic Reform OrganizationsMuslim Civil Rights · Reform
Media Watchdog OrganizationsPress Accountability
Human-Rights DefendersInternational Human Rights

MEF Action, the Forum’s national advocacy and government-affairs project, helped initiate H.R. 8236 and has built support for designation across key constituencies — faith communities, national-security researchers, and Muslim reform advocates alike.

Notably, the AMMWEC — American Muslims Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council joined as a co-signatory, lending the voice of Muslim women’s civil-rights leadership to the call for accountability.