The Communist Party USA condemns the House Ways and Means Committee’s subpoenas of The People’s Forum, Tricontinental Institute for Social Research, and BreakThrough News. Committee Chair Jason Smith alleges that these organizations are linked to the Communist Party of China. It’s the old foreign agent charge: McCarthyism 2.0 in action. The attacks open the door to further political repression against the entire progressive and left movement.

These organizations are being targeted for mobilizing against the genocide in Gaza, defending immigrant families from ICE, and opposing Washington’s illegal blockade of Cuba.

Anti-communism being used in attacks against people’s organizations, including labor, is one of the oldest anti-democratic weapons of the ruling class, being used today to deepen fascist politics. This is an attack on the entire working class as part of the ongoing MAGA efforts to undermine democracy and dismantle civil rights. The extreme right uses Red Scare politics to justify the elimination of voting rights, to attack unions, to criminalize peace and solidarity, all in the effort to clear the path for unfettered billionaire rule.

We know this playbook. Our own Party was ravaged by the McCarthy era of the 1950s. Our leaders were jailed for thinking and teaching. Our members were blacklisted, and free speech was effectively criminalized. Many other democratically minded people were caught up in the witch hunts, resulting in lost jobs, ruined careers, and in some cases lost lives.

We refuse to stay silent in the face of these ongoing assaults on democratic rights.

We demand the House Ways and Means Committee withdraw these subpoenas.

We will defend every organization and every individual who refuses to be intimidated by MAGA and stands up for peace, democracy, and workers’ rights.