Since announcing our opposition to the three-week spending bill, along with FRC Action and the Club for Growth, our stance has driven media coverage of Congressional action.
Our unique formula of a DC-based team and conservatives across the country is working, holding Members of Congress accountable to their conservative mandate. The press clips below demonstrate our initial success in driving the debate, but we have a lot of work to do between now and when the CR expires on April 8th.
When the three-week resolution was unveiled on Friday, it was viewed by many with a sigh of relief, knowing that a government shutdown would once again be averted, however temporarily. But then a number of prominent conservative groups issued statements in opposition to the bill, urging Republicans to vote no. Michael Needham, CEO of Heritage Action, concurred. "If we blink now and allow the proponents of big government to drag out negotiations," he said, "it will undercut our ability to fight for conservative policies and result in fewer reforms and less cuts."
When members returned to Capitol Hill on Monday, it was clear that some had gotten the message.
The RSC's rise in status has been noticed in Washington. The organization is in close touch with anti-tax, pro-life, and other conservative groups active on Capitol Hill. One in particular: Heritage Action, the new political arm of the Heritage Foundation.
Those members are backed by a slowly building set of outside groups: The Family Research Council, Club for Growth and Heritage Action are all opposed to the newest round of stopgap spending.
Rubio's statement came as several influential conservative groups, including the Heritage Foundation's political arm, the Club for Growth and the Family Research Council, came out against the three-week deal negotiated by GOP leaders and said they would score the votes in their annual legislative scorecards.
CNN:
Friday three leading conservative organizations, the Club for Growth, the Family Research Council, and Heritage Action, teamed up to make clear their opposition to any funding extension, and said they'll be keeping count of how lawmakers vote on the bill.
And in an open letter released Monday, Heritage Action CEO Michael Needham wrote that delaying the CR for three more weeks gives Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid the time he needs to conflate this year's budget with next year's.
The move [by Tea Party Nation] echoes statements made Friday by the Heritage Foundation's political organizing wing, Heritage Action, along with the Club for Growth and Family Research Council in opposition to the newest CR.
Also, the Club for Growth, Heritage Action (an arm of the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank), and the Family Research Council have ALL come out against the new short-term proposal, saying they'll be SCORING a no vote.
On Friday, three conservative groups - the Family Research Council, Club for Growth and Heritage Action - announced they were against the new stopgap. They were joined Monday by the Susan B. Anthony List, the American Family Association, the Tea Party Nation and the National Taxpayers Union.
The Florida Republican [Marco Rubio] joined a push by several key outside groups opposing bill, including the Heritage Foundation and the Family Research Council's political arms.