Michael A. Needham
Chief Executive Officer
(HAA) Heritage Action for America
(P.O. Box 96331, Washington, D.C. 20077-7068)
2014 ANNUAL SURVEY
Re: Our 2014 Annual Supporter Survey - We Want to Hear
From You
Dear Sir:
Will
you take just a few minutes today to give me and our Heritage Action team the
benefit of your opinions and advice? Conservatives are facing critical
challenges right now, from the radical Obama administration and from big
spending advocates in Congress.
As
the head of Heritage Action, America's leading conservative lobbying and
grassroots activist organization, I need to know directly from key
conservatives across America about the issues we should emphasize and tactics
we should pursue as we fight to save the American dream!
At
Heritage Action our commitment is to conservative principles, not party. And we
rely on support from individual Americans, like you, not from Washington special interests.
That's
why I am asking you to participate in our Annual Supporter Survey. I am asking
your personal opinion on key issues facing our nation, including:
• President
Obama's threat to expand his use of unconstitutional executive actions to
advance his destructive, hard-left agenda;
• continuing pressure from the Left and the
Washington Establishment to force a congressional sell-out on amnesty for
illegal immigrants;
• the best strategy to stop Obamacare and replace it with
patient-centered health care that enables the free market to lower costs.
And
I also seek your opinions on our work pushing back against the "business
as usual" Washington Establishment by helping develop a bold, conservative
reform agenda that advances our best ideas for America.
Heritage Action is the sister lobbying organization of The Heritage Foundation, America's premier conservative public policy research and
education institution. Heritage Action
supplies the lobbying expertise and grassroots muscle to turn the Foundation's
policy prescriptions into actual public policies.
Since
2010, we have helped rally lawmakers on Capitol Hill to stand up to the
Washington Establishment and refuse to play by its rules.
Instead,
we have encouraged them to stand on
conservative principles and hold fast to the promises they made to the voters
when they campaigned for office, on fronts ranging from Internet taxation and
privacy, to the future of Obamacare, to amnesty for illegal immigrants, to
the Food Stamp and Farm Bill and other big-spending monstrosities.
As you
may remember, it was Heritage Action
that launched the "Defund Obamacare Campaign" last year. It was
our efforts that reignited massive public opposition to Obamacare even before
it proved to be a complete disaster in the wake of its botched rollout, and
before President Obama's lies about "keeping your own health plan"
and "keeping your own doctor" were exposed to the nation.
And
it was Heritage Action that ignored the Washington Establishment and led the
hard and difficult fight against Obamacare on Capitol Hill . . . a fight that
is continuing this year in congressional races across America and that will be finally
resolved with the election of a new president in 2016!
We
are so influential because our lobbying work is fueled by the commitment of the
more than 400,000 grassroots conservative activists who are ready to take
direct action and to lobby Congress on behalf of conservative legislation . . .
or against liberal bills.
Because
Heritage Action is a grassroots-driven organization, I cannot overstate just
how much I am counting on you to participate in our Survey.
It
is vital for me to know where conservatives like you stand on issues facing us
as Heritage Action pursues our mission of leading the conservative movement by
holding politicians accountable for their votes and energizing grassroots
activists.
Time
is critically important to us, so I am asking you to make a special effort to
return your answered Survey to us in the next two weeks. It really would be a
big help to us if you can return your Survey to us as soon as possible.
When you answer and return your Survey, I also hope you will back up your Survey
responses with a financial contribution for $35, $50, $100 or even more to join
us as a Supporter of Heritage Action today!
Your
decision to become a Supporter of Heritage Action, along with your advice and
opinions, will help me determine:
• How
aggressively we can fight the Left on issues like Obama's executive overreach,
excessive government spending, and amnesty for illegal immigrants;
• How much we
can invest in our "ground game" to dramatically expand our activist
network for maximum impact in this election year;
• And how far
we can go in building support for a series of conservative reform measures now
being drafted in Congress.
Your
financial support right now is especially important to us, because over the
past few weeks the entrenched forces of the liberal Washington Establishment,
in and out of Congress, have proven again just how powerful they are.
First,
with the full support of the Obama administration, the House and the Senate
passed a bipartisan "omnibus" budget deal that increased federal
spending, added to the deficit, and removed the caps on federal spending
imposed in 2011 (the "sequester").
Then,
Congress reverted to its old ways and behind closed doors created a new
Obama-supported "farm bill" that spends nearly $1 trillion — and 80%
of that money goes to food stamps.
And
finally, Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), with the support of only 27 other House
Republicans, passed a "clean" debt ceiling bill . . .
"clean" in the sense that it gave President Obama and Congress the
ability to keep digging America into unsustainable debt without requiring any
measures to begin to put our nation's fiscal house in order!
Heritage Action fought hard against
these big spending monstrosities, and we rallied significant conservative votes
against them.
But
the sad fact is that the Obama administration and Establishment lobbyists
carried the day, even in the House of Representatives, which is theoretically
the "conservative" branch of Congress.
I
say "theoretically." because just a few weeks
earlier senior members of the House leadership were pushing amnesty for illegal
immigrants . . . a move that betrays principle in favor of misguided and poorly
thought-through political expediency.
We
oppose any immigration bill that includes amnesty, because amnesty unfairly
punishes individuals who follow the law, it encourages more illegal
immigration, and it places totally unwarranted faith in President Obama to
actually enforce border security.
We
helped force Speaker Boehner to take an immigration bill off the table for this
year, but we must be constantly vigilant and ready to fight future attempts by
the Obama administration and the Left when it comes to pushing for amnesty, a
key item on their agenda!
These events all present real challenges to
conservatives and to Heritage Action.
It
reminds us that in politics there are no permanent victories . . . and that we
must redouble our efforts to advance a conservative reform agenda and build our
grassroots strength.
And,
with indispensable financial help of our Supporters, that's exactly what we're
doing!
For
example, we recently passed 400,000 in the number of online activists ready to
take direct action to lobby Congress for conservative legislation and against
the policies of the Obama administration and the Left.
Every
new recruit to our "online army" is increasing our ability to counter
the Washington Establishment and win on Capitol Hill! (As conservative Senator
Mike Lee (R-UT) has said, "Grassroots-driven
pressure from Heritage Action is the ammunition needed to change the way Washington works.")
That's
why our goal is to add another 100,000 activists to our team this year. We are
also continuing to increase the number of our Regional Coordinators, who help
recruit local activists and keep the grassroots pressure on the members
representing their districts.
We
began in 2012 with Regional Coordinators based near big media markets in Chicago, Cincinnati,
Pittsburgh, and St. Louis. In 2013 we added Regional Coordinators in Birmingham, Dallas, Philadelphia, Phoenix,
Tampa, and Richmond.
And
this year we are planning to add new coordinators in Atlanta and Denver to help us promote conservative principles and
organize citizens ready to take action to support conservative legislation in
Congress . . . and which will move us from covering 182 congressional districts
to 213!
These
will include:
• Competitive
districts represented by Democrats who urgently need to be held accountable to
their constituents;
• Republicans
in tough districts who need support for doing the right thing;
• And also
districts represented by Members in both parties who could vote more
conservative given the make-up of their district but fail to do so.
At
the same time, we are working closely with conservatives in Congress on bills
that embody the bold ideas of our sister organization, The Heritage Foundation.
Last
year, for example, we worked with members to introduce 15 pieces of legislation
that constitute exciting new applications of conservative principles to public
policy . . . and right now we have another nine bills in process!
In
fact, we held a "Conservative Policy Summit" in February that put the
spotlight on several key conservative reform measures now before Congress . . .
and we forced even liberals in the media to acknowledge that conservatives are
not simply the "Party of No."
We
proved last year that we can beat the Washington Establishment when we bring
the force of our grassroots supporters to bear on Congress.
In
the months ahead, as we rally more activists to our side and advance
legislation that draws clear and dramatic distinctions between grassroots
conservatives and the failed policies of the Obama administration, we can win
again!
• We have the
intellectual firepower of The Heritage Foundation behind us;
• We have a
veteran and skilled team of Capitol Hill lobbyists on our side, who instead of advancing K Street special interests are advancing conservative ideas;
• And we have
the grassroots lobbying muscle of 400,000 activists!
But
what we are missing is you! I am
counting on you to join us as a Supporter and help our work, with your
answers to our Survey and with a generous contribution . . . hopefully for as
much as $35, $50, $100 or more.
Heritage
Action opened its doors four years ago, and I cannot think of another time when
our leadership has been more urgently needed!
Because
we put principle over party, we hold all politicians accountable for their
votes.
We
don't play by the rules of the status quo Washington Establishment . . . rules
that are rigged to ensure that liberals and other supporters of big government
always win.
And
we're effective . . . but we can only be as effective as you enable us to be
through your decision to join us as a Supporter and give us your advice on our
Survey!
We
have accomplished so much re-energizing and empowering grassroots conservatism
over the past few months.
But,
I know we will have even greater impact in the months ahead, especially if! can count on you
today, both for your opinions and your financial support. Thank you for taking
the time to ready my letter.
I
deeply hope I can count on you to join the Heritage Action team and help us
lead the fight for our shared conservative values. I look forward to hearing
from you soon (HAA, P.O. Box 96331, Washington, D.C. 20077-7068)!
Sincerely,
Michael
A. Needham
Chief
Executive Officer
P.S. I am really counting on
hearing from you in the next two weeks. We have several critical program and
budget decisions to make, and I need to hear from you. And learning that you
are supporting us with a contribution of $35, $50 or even $100 will be a great
help to us!
P.P.S. Our good friend former Senator Jim DeMint is the
president of our sister organization, The Heritage Foundation. He asked if he
could enclose a special note for you with my letter, and I hope you will take a
moment to read it. Thank you!
214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, Suite 400 ׀ Washington, DC 20002 ׀ (202) 548-5280 ׀ heritageaction.com
********************
(Sample)
2014 ANNUAL SURVEY
Section One: National and Legislative Issues
1) Obamacare has
proven to be a complete disaster, as conservatives predicted. The latest bad
news is that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has issued a report
predicting that Obamacare will eliminate 2.3 million full-time jobs by 2017.
And in February, the Obama administration announced yet another unilateral
delay, without consulting Congress, in implementing an element of Obamacare's
employer mandate.
Heritage
Action is committed to full repeal of Obamacare, which will require a new
Congress and a new President. However, prior to the 2014 and 2016 elections,
Heritage Action is actively supporting conservative legislative alternatives,
like the Empowering Patients First Act sponsored by Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), that can chip away at some of the worst aspects of
Obamacare.
Do you support Heritage Action's
long-term commitment to full repeal of Obamacare and its short-term support of
conservative legislative health care reform alternatives?
□ YES □ NO
□ UNSURE
2) President
Obama and congressional Democrats have long advocated amnesty for illegal
immigrants to advance their political fortunes. Recently, senior members of the
House Republican leadership stated their support for a measure that would
include amnesty.
Heritage
Action opposes amnesty, because it rewards lawless behavior, punishes
immigrants who play by the rules, will increase illegal immigration, and counts
on President Obama to enforce border security . . . which he never has done.
Pressure from Heritage Action and our Supporters helped force House Speaker
John Boehner (R-OH) to announce that he would not advance an immigration bill
this year, although the Obama administration, the Left and key elements of the
Washington Establishment are continuing to push hard for a measure that
includes amnesty.
Do you support Heritage Action's
continued opposition to any immigration bill that includes amnesty for illegal
immigrants?
□ YES □ NO □ UNSURE
3) President
Obama has repeatedly shown his contempt for the separation of powers through
his appointment of a record number of "czars" to
high office in order to bypass Senate confirmation, and through his use of
executive orders, which also bypass Congress (including his repeated unilateral
delays in implementation of Obamacare). In this year's State of the Union
speech, the President threatened even greater use of potentially
unconstitutional executive actions to advance his radical agenda.
Heritage
Action believes in the Constitution and the separation of powers.
Do you support Heritage Action's
commitment to mobilizing active grassroots opposition to President Obama's executive
over-reach and bringing full pressure to bear on Congress to block any
unconstitutional executive actions?
□ YES □ NO □ UNSURE
4) A year ago it
was revealed that the Internal Revenue Service had targeted conservative 501(c)(4) organizations (like Heritage Action) for crippling,
discriminatory treatment in the granting of tax-exempt status. A year later, no
one has been fired or prosecuted for their role in this conspiracy to corrupt
the IRS. And in an interview with Bill O'Reilly before this year's Super Bowl,
President Obama asserted that there wasn't "a smidgen of corruption"
involved in this activity.
Heritage
Action believes Congress should use all its powers to get to the facts in order
to hold all those responsible for the crimes committed at the IRS accountable
under the law.
Do you support Heritage Action's
commitment to force Congress to get to the truth behind the IRS targeting
scandal?
□ YES □ NO □ UNSURE
5) The September 11,
2012 terrorist attack on the
U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, resulted in the death of four American public servants, including the
U.S. Ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens. Within hours of the attack, the
Obama administration initiated a politically driven cover-up of the facts
behind the attack and their response to it in order to protect President Obama
and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
As
in the IRS scandal, no one has been fired or held accountable for their role in
the Benghazi cover-up.
Do you believe House Speaker John
Boehner (R-OH) should appoint a Select Committee on Benghazi that could
bring the full investigative power of Congress to bring to bear on this
scandal?
□ YES □ NO □ UNSURE
6) Heritage
Action is working closely with key conservative members of the Senate and the
House to develop bold conservative initiatives that change the bipartisan, big
government status quo in Washington.
These initiatives include measures related to health care, taxes, energy,
government regulation and job creation.
Do you support Heritage Action's
commitment to helping advance legislation that advances conservative ideas and
the interests of the American people, and that rejects Washington
Establishment politics driven by election cycles and special interest politics?
□ YES □ NO □ UNSURE
Section Two: Heritage Action Programs
7) Heritage
Action has increased the number of its online activists from 350,000 at the end
of 2013 to 400,000 today. The members of our "online army" are the
key grassroots lobbyists who bring rapid response pressure on their members of
Congress to support conservative legislation and oppose liberal measures.
Do you support Heritage Action's goal to
add 100,000 additional online activists by the end of this year, so that its
impact will be even greater when the new Congress takes office in 2015?
□ YES □ NO □ UNSURE
8) Our field
operations program currently has 10 Regional Coordinators, who work closely
with our Sentinels and local conservative activists to advocate for
conservative policies both locally and nationally. We plan to hire two more
Regional Coordinators, in Atlanta
and Denver, in the next few weeks. These hires will enable us to
cover a total of 213 congressional districts, up from 182.
Do you support Heritage Action's
long-term commitment to building a serious conservative infrastructure in key
congressional districts this year?
□ YES □ NO □ UNSURE
214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, Suite 400 ׀ Washington, DC 20002 ׀ (202) 548-5280 ׀ heritageaction.com
********************
The only place where the out-of-control
Obama administration can be stopped is
Congress...
and we must let
Congress know where conservatives
stand and what we
expect them to do!
Dear Fellow Conservative:
Since beginning his second term a year
ago, President Obama has governed aggressively from the hard-left. What's more, he has
Declared War on Conservatives, to the point of conservative and Tea
Party groups being targeted by the Internal Revenue Service, while he continues
to push for full implementation of his botched and discredited Obamacare scheme!
This
harsh reality must force conservatives to unite around a strategy for standing
up to this scandal-ridden president and stopping him from taking our nation
further down the road of no-return to socialism, less freedom and bigger, more
intrusive government.
That's
why, as Chief Executive Officer of Heritage
Action for America, I am personally inviting you to participate in our 113th Congress Legislative Action Survey...
an urgently needed effort to thwart President Obama's leftist agenda and set a
conservative agenda for Congress.
Heritage Action was founded in early 2010 as the sister lobbying
organization of The Heritage Foundation, America's leading conservative public policy research and
education organization. Heritage Action
supplies the lobbying expertise and muscle to turn the Foundation's policy
prescriptions into actual public policies.
Today
we are widely recognized as the top conservative lobbying organization in Washington . . . in part because of our critical role in again
putting Obamacare front and center in the national policy debate over the past
few months.
You
may remember that it was Heritage Action
that launched the "Defund Obamacare Campaign" this
past summer which reignited massive public opposition to this unfair, unaffordable,
and unworkable expansion of government power.
And
it was Heritage Action that ignored
the Washington Establishment and led the hard and difficult fight against
Obamacare on Capitol Hill this past fall.
I am
asking you to answer our Survey within the next two weeks because critical
debates and votes on key issues, especially fiscal issues like raising the debt
ceiling, are taking place right now.
At
the same time, investigations continue into the serial scandals surrounding the
Obama administration on issues ranging from Benghazi to the IRS targeting of conservatives to the lies and
secrecy that have surrounded the disastrous rollout of Obamacare.
It
is absolutely vital that we inform the members of Congress as soon as we can of
steps we believe they should take to stop the power-hungry Obama
administration, hold the administration accountable to the American people, and
undertake policies that will save our nation.
That
makes your participation in our survey today especially important!
As
one Obama scandal after another erupts and the staggering costs of programs
like Obamacare sink in, we are beginning to move toward that tipping point
where the American people decide they've had enough of this radical and
scandal-ridden administration.
That's
why it so important now for us to seize this moment and immediately bring
direct pressure on Congress to stand and fight against the fiscally
irresponsible and overreaching policies of Barack Obama and his liberal
Administration!
Our
commitment to forcing Congress to do the right thing has become increasingly
important as President Obama has made it clear that, on issues ranging from
guns to spending to the economy to immigration, he intends to govern through
the increased use of "executive actions"
that may be unconstitutional.
Let's
face it. If we are to overcome the
challenges and threats to our nation posed by three more years of President
Obama, Congress is our only hope.
We
must do all we can to encourage and pressure conservatives in Congress to
oppose destructive new Obama initiatives and instead build consensus support on
Capitol Hill for commonsense solutions that will save the American Dream.
As
the top conservative lobbying group on Capitol Hill, Heritage Action is undertaking this critically important role
because it is our responsibility to lift a bold conservative banner in Congress
. . . and we need your help to do it!
If
we don't keep pressure on Congress, especially the Republican-controlled House
of Representatives, to support a clear conservative agenda, the alternative for
our nation is disaster, today, tomorrow and for generations to come.
Because,
unfettered by re-election concerns and three more years stretching before them,
President Obama and his radical team are giving free rein to their impulses to
drive our nation even further to the left by:
• raising
taxes, while still spending at such a rate as to keep exploding the deficit,
• expanding
government regulations and government control over more sectors of our economy,
cutting not just fat but also muscle from our national defenses,
• continuing
to turn a blind eye to the looming crises facing Social Security and Medicare,
• pressing
ahead with an open-borders agenda that includes more amnesty measures for
illegal immigrants,
• and enforcing the high-tax, job-killing provisions of their
arbitrary and manifestly unworkable Obamacare scheme.
The
only place where Barack Obama can be restrained now is Congress . . . and it is
in Congress where conservatives must make our case and advance our agenda for America.
This
is what Heritage Action does every
day.
In
the nearly four years since our founding our impact on Congress has been
extraordinary. For example, we:
• Persuaded
House Republicans to stand united behind full repeal of Obamacare
• Lobbied for
a successful House vote to avert "Taxmageddon" by extending the
Bush-era and 2009 tax cuts
• Blocked
Internet regulations that would stifle free speech on the Web
• Sidelined
the so-called Farm Bill, a trillion-dollar spending bomb which, despite its
name, would have directed 80% of its spending toward food stamp recipients,
and
• Opposed a
lame-duck session "compromise" with President Obama that offered him
$1 TRILLION in new taxes and rallied enough House Republicans to force the GOP
leadership to pull the bill.
This
sent a powerful message to the President and the House Republican leadership
that many conservatives are still committed to cutting spending, not raising
taxes!
And of course in 2013 we took on
President Obama and the bipartisan Washington
Establishment over Obamacare, packing town hail meetings across America and
stunning media pundits with the depth of public opposition to this
deficit-exploding program . . . even before it proved to be a complete disaster
in the wake of its botched "roll-out."
Part
of our impact comes from our lobbying team, many of whom are longtime Capitol
Hill veterans. Our lobbyists are first-rate, although instead of advancing
special and corporate interests they are advocating for conservative principles
. . .
. .
. principles like helping you keep more of your
hard-earned income, helping preserve and improve our retirement system, and
exercising fiscal restraint and discipline so we can hand over a solvent nation
to the next generation of Americans.
Even
more importantly, Heritage Action
can mobilize our more than 350,000 grassroots activists who are ready to take
direct action and to lobby Congress on behalf of conservative legislation, or
against liberal bills.
In
2012, we sounded the alarm against the first bloated transportation bill.
Within five hours of sending our first online Action Alert email, our activists
slammed Hill offices with 1,000 phone calls, followed by a wave of personal
contacts. The House leadership was forced to pull back the bill and
substantially rework it.
Then
this past summer, Heritage Action
rallied conservatives around the country and in Congress to fight the misnamed Farm Bill (another bloated spending bill that devoted 80% of its money to Food
Stamps) and the Gang of Eight's
amnesty bill.
And
we will continue to oppose any immigration measure that grants amnesty, fails
to secure our border, encourages future illegal immigration and saddles our nation
with trillions of dollars in new debt!
With
President Obama in the White House until 2017, the need for our unique and
effective one-two punch of lobbyists working inside Congress and Action
supporters working outside the
Beltway becomes critically important.
We
must not only get ready to challenge
President Obama's "executive
action" power grabs and
turn back whatever big-spending new left-wing programs that the Obama
administration will send our way . . .
. .
. we must also tell Congress, especially its conservative members, that we want
them to stand for principle and not play along with the Washington
Establishment's game that rewards special interests instead of doing what is
right for America.
Your
answers to our Survey will help Heritage Action inform, guide, support and
direct members of the 113th Congress as they weigh their priorities.
Members
of Congress do listen to voters . . . and that's a big part of why Heritage
Action has already made such a big impact on Capitol Hill.
So,
please, I urge you to take just a minute today and answer your Survey.
And then, when you return your answered
Survey to us, I also strongly encourage you to enclose a contribution,
hopefully for as much as $35, $50, $100, or even more, to Heritage Action for
America.
Your
help today will help me and our Action lobbying team as we work with Congress
to push back against the fiscally irresponsible Big Government policies of the
Obama administration.
We
also need your financial help today to build our already highly impactful grassroots "ground game" that plays
such a big part in our success on Capitol Hill.
In
2012, we built focused teams of grassroots staff based strategically near major
media markets in Chicago, Cincinnati,
Philadelphia and St. Louis. And in 2013 we added regional coordinators in Birmingham, Dallas, Tampa, and Richmond.
Our
Coordinators help recruit local activists and keep the grassroots pressure on
the members representing their districts. We're also hosting training schools
and giving our allied citizen activists the material they need to put pressure
on their Members of Congress.
We
especially want to make a difference in key districts where middle-of-the-road
or wishy-washy politicians hold office, because we know from experience that
hundreds or thousands of emails and phone calls can sway a congressman's votes.
As conservative Senator Mike Lee (R-UT)
has noted, "Grassroots-driven pressure
from Heritage Action is the ammunition needed to change the way Washington works."
Today,
as we prepare for this year's critical midterm congressional election, it is
vital that Heritage Action can continue to expand its personnel and territory .
. . and that is another reason we need your financial support. So I urge you to
include your very best contribution to Heritage Action today.
Believe
me . . . your full support is vital to help us continue to lead the
conservative charge in Congress and block the hard-left policies of President
Obama.
The President and his radical
administration may think, and for sure are acting like, they have a mandate for
turning America into
full-fledged socialist state . . . but
if you will join with Heritage Action today we can show them differently!
I
deeply hope you will stand with us and help us fight, day in and day out, for
conservative principles and ideas (HAA,
P.O. Box 96331, Washington, D.C. 20077-7068).
Sincerely,
Michael
A. Needham
Chief
Executive Officer
P.S. The pressures from the
Obama administration, the media and the permanent pro-Big Government Washington
Establishment on members of Congress to go along with their Big Government
agenda are enormous. That is why it is so important, right now, for
conservatives to make our voices heard on Capitol Hill . . . so please [request
for and] return your answered 113th
Congress Legislative Action Survey to us within the next two weeks! And
please be sure to enclose your best gift to Heritage Action for America . . . it will be great to count you as
one of our supporters.
P.P.S. Jim DeMint is the
president of our sister organization, The Heritage Foundation. He is also a
former U.S. Senator and he has a great perspective on how critically important
it is for grassroots conservatives to bring direct pressure to bear on
Congress. I urge you to read his enclosed note!
214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, Suite 400 ׀ Washington, DC 20002 ׀ (202) 548-5280 ׀ heritageaction.com
*******************
SENATOR JIM DeMINT
The Heritage Foundation
Dear Fellow Conservative:
When
I left the U.S. Senate earlier this year to become president of The Heritage
Foundation, I didn't do so solely because of the Foundation's unparalleled
reputation for serious research and its remarkable impact on public policy
debates.
I
also wanted to join the Heritage family because of the power and impact of its
sister organization, Heritage Action for
America!
As a
501(c)(3) non-profit organization, The Heritage Foundation is restricted in
some of its activities . . . it can do only a small amount of trying to
influence actual legislation, it cannot organize conservatives and it cannot
involve itself in elections.
But
Heritage Action is a 501(c)(4) organization that can
lobby Congress, that can organize conservatives, and that can involve itself in
elections.
Heritage
Action, led by powerhouse young conservative Mike Needham, has mobilized
hundreds of thousands of activists across America and forced a real stiffening of conservatives' backbones in Congress.
They are the most effective conservative voice on Capitol Hill!
I want to urge you today to accept
Mike's invitation to participate in Heritage Action's Legislative Agenda Survey
and join the Heritage Action team.
And
I also want to make a special appeal to you to respond generously to Mike's
request for your financial help today.
As a
former Senator, I know just how important the coming debates and votes in
Congress will be . . . and how vitally important it is going to be for Heritage
Action to put on a full-court press to fight back against Barack Obama and the
Left as they attempt to raise taxes, explode spending again, and pass the
disastrous "Gang of Eight" amnesty bill.
Thank
you for your commitment to our conservative cause. I hope Mike and I can count
on you to join the Heritage Action team with a generous contribution today.
Sincerely,
DeMint
President
*******************
(Sample)
113th CONGRESS LEGISLATIVE
ACTION SURVEY
A NATIONAL GRASSROOTS POLL OF CONSEVATIVE
OPINION
Registered to:
LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
Please give us your opinion
and rank the following legislative agenda items developed by Heritage Action
for America as high, mid-level or low priorities to pursue in the
113th Congress.
1. Support a budget plan that balances the budget in
ten years without raising taxes.
Օ High Priority
Օ Mid-level Priority
Օ Low Priority
2. Aggressively challenge efforts by President Obama
to govern by "executive actions" that attempt to bypass Congress and
the American people.
Օ High Priority
Օ Mid-level Priority
Օ Low Priority
3. Use the congressional "power of the
purse" to defund and thereby effectively repeal significant elements of
Obamacare.
Օ High Priority
Օ Mid-level Priority
Օ Low Priority
4. Full Congressional investigations (including the
use of its subpoena power and ability to make referrals for criminal
prosecutions) into the following actions undertaken by the Obama
administration.
• IRS targeting of Tea Party and conservative groups
Օ High Priority
Օ Mid-level Priority
Օ Low Priority
• Administration actions taken before, during and
after the terrorist attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11, 2012
Օ High Priority
Օ Mid-level Priority
Օ Low Priority
• The seizure of telephone and other records of AP
reporters and FOX News reporter James Rosen
Օ High Priority
Օ Mid-level Priority
Օ Low Priority
5. Lobby members of Congress to oppose any increase in
government spending levels.
Օ High Priority
Օ Mid-level Priority
Օ Low Priority
6. Deploy grassroots activist network to lobby members
of Congress to join conservatives in addressing serious entitlement reform.
Օ High Priority
Օ Mid-level Priority
Օ Low Priority
7. Support congressional efforts to restore free
market principles by ending the use of tax credits (like the Wind Production
Tax Credit) as a means for government to selectively pick winners and losers in
the economy.
Օ High Priority
Օ Mid-level Priority
Օ Low Priority
8. Oppose further "crony capitalism"
giveaways of tax dollars, like the disastrous Solyndra loans, to political
allies of the Obama administration.)
Օ High Priority
Օ Mid-level Priority
Օ Low Priority
9. Oppose efforts by the Obama administration and/or
congressional liberals to raise income tax rates at any income level.
Օ High Priority
Օ Mid-level Priority
Օ Low Priority
OPTIONAL QUESTION
10.As a general rule, which
of the following tactics do you recommend conservative members of the 113th
Congress should pursue this year? (You may select more than one.)
Օ Oppose all Obama administration legislative initiatives
Օ Compromise whenever possible with the Obama administration and
congressional liberals in order to mitigate the negative impact of
administration policies
Օ Advance aggressive conservative legislative initiatives even if
they court presidential vetoes.
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