Heritage Action for America
Encyclopedia
Heritage Action for America is a conservative policy advocacy organization, founded in 2010. Heritage Action works with conservative citizen activists nationwide to generate support for public policy proposals in the U.S. Congress. The organization has state operations in North Carolina
and Pennsylvania
and is a sister organization of the conservative think tank
, The Heritage Foundation
. Heritage Action's chief executive is Michael A. Needham.
conservative activists. Heritage Action was first announced in April 2010 by Ed Feulner, president of The Heritage Foundation. Feulner stated the purpose of the organization was to harness "grassroots energy to increase the pressure on Members of Congress to embrace The Heritage Foundation’s policy recommendations." Feulner also stated the organization would not be involved in election campaigns.
Heritage Action launched its first advocacy campaign in July 2010, targeting Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
(PPACA), President Barack Obama
's health care reform law. By August 2010 the organization had helped to secure 170 Republican co-sponsors for a petition by Rep. Steve King
to force a vote on repealing the healthcare reform. Following this, in September 2010, Heritage Action launched a 10-day television and web campaign to persuade Democrats to sign onto a repeal of the law. The group opened its state operations in North Carolina and Pennsylvania in January 2011, specifically to focus on mobilizing voters against the health care law.
Heritage Action received attention in late 2010 for its opposition to the New START
treaty, an agreement between the United States and Russia
to reduce nuclear weapons. The organization sent out fliers to a targeted group of conservatives in Tennessee
, which argued that the treaty could lead to nuclear proliferation.
Subsequent writings , which distort the defense spending of Russia and China, show a real bias towards the American defense industry, neglecting to mention that the US spends over four times as much in defense as Russia and China combined, while ignoring the fact that the aircraft that current Russian and Chinese prototypes are meant to compete with, the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor has been in service since 2005.
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and is a sister organization of the conservative think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
, The Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation is a conservative American think tank based in Washington, D.C. Heritage's stated mission is to "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong...
. Heritage Action's chief executive is Michael A. Needham.
Activities
Heritage Action was launched primarily as a response to The Heritage Foundation's rapidly growing membership, and the fact that The Heritage Foundation is not allowed to back pieces of legislation due to its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Heritage Action fulfills this role and provides a link between the think tank and grassrootsGrassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
conservative activists. Heritage Action was first announced in April 2010 by Ed Feulner, president of The Heritage Foundation. Feulner stated the purpose of the organization was to harness "grassroots energy to increase the pressure on Members of Congress to embrace The Heritage Foundation’s policy recommendations." Feulner also stated the organization would not be involved in election campaigns.
Heritage Action launched its first advocacy campaign in July 2010, targeting Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
(PPACA), President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's health care reform law. By August 2010 the organization had helped to secure 170 Republican co-sponsors for a petition by Rep. Steve King
Steve King
Steven Arnold "Steve" King is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district is located in the western part of the state and includes Sioux City and Council Bluffs....
to force a vote on repealing the healthcare reform. Following this, in September 2010, Heritage Action launched a 10-day television and web campaign to persuade Democrats to sign onto a repeal of the law. The group opened its state operations in North Carolina and Pennsylvania in January 2011, specifically to focus on mobilizing voters against the health care law.
Heritage Action received attention in late 2010 for its opposition to the New START
New START
New START is a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation with the formal name of Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms...
treaty, an agreement between the United States and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
to reduce nuclear weapons. The organization sent out fliers to a targeted group of conservatives in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, which argued that the treaty could lead to nuclear proliferation.
Subsequent writings , which distort the defense spending of Russia and China, show a real bias towards the American defense industry, neglecting to mention that the US spends over four times as much in defense as Russia and China combined, while ignoring the fact that the aircraft that current Russian and Chinese prototypes are meant to compete with, the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor has been in service since 2005.
External links
- Heritage Action on Facebook
- Heritage Action on Twitter