Americans for Prosperity

Americans for Prosperity

Formation	2004
Headquarters	Washington, D.C., U.S.
Website	www.americansforprosperity.org

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is a Washington, D.C.-based conservative political advocacy group which advocates for limited government and free markets on the local, state and federal levels. It was founded in 2004, by billionaire David H. Koch of Koch Industries, who in 1984, had also established its predecessor, Citizens for a Sound Economy, from which Americans for Prosperity split in 2003. (Citizens for a Sound Economy rebranded as FreedomWorks.)

History and mission

In 2003, an internal rift between Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE) and its affiliated Citizens for a Sound Economy Foundation led to a split in which the latter organization was renamed as a separate organization, called Americans for Prosperity, while Citizens for a Sound Economy rebranded as FreedomWorks.

Its foundation's chair and founder is David H. Koch of Koch Industries, which runs oil refining and pipeline companies. One of the Koch Family Foundations provides grant funding to AFP. Koch ranked #19 on Forbes magazine's 2009 list of the world's billionaires.

Some critics have suggested that the Kochs’ approach has subverted the purpose of tax-exempt giving. By law, charitable foundations must conduct exclusively nonpartisan activities that promote the public welfare. A 2004 report by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, a corporate watchdog group, described the Kochs’ foundations as being self-serving, concluding, “These foundations give money to nonprofit organizations that do research and advocacy on issues that impact the profit margin of Koch Industries.”

An August 2010 article by The New Yorker alleged that the Kochs have given to support their immediate self-interest as well as to fund organizations that covertly aim to push the country in a libertarian direction. The report stated that institutions Koch have subsidized also include the Institute for Justice, which files lawsuits opposing state and federal regulations; the Institute for Humane Studies, which underwrites libertarian academics; and the Bill of Rights Institute, which promotes a libertarian view of the Constitution. The report also stated that the organizations funded by the Kochs employ specialists who write position papers that are subsequently quoted by politicians and pundits. David Koch told The New Yorker, "If we’re going to give a lot of money, we’ll make darn sure they spend it in a way that goes along with our intent... And if they make a wrong turn and start doing things we don’t agree with, we withdraw funding."

Ira Stoll of FutureOfCapitalism.com criticized the article; she wrote that it seemed to imply that "left-wing think tanks are nonpartisan watchdogs, but the free-market ones are part of some covert stealth nefarious plot" and referred to the open data already available about Koch-connected think tanks. Matt Welch of Reason wrote in support of Stoll and labeled the New Yorker article a "hit-piece".

AFP aims to promote an economic policy that supports business and regulatory restraint by government, according to its literature. This organization leans libertarian. AFP opposed the $787 billion stimulus package.

Leadership and structure

• Art Pope, director
• James C. Miller, director
• James E. Stephenson, director
• Frayda Levy, director

Other key national staff include: Tim Phillips, president; Phil Kerpen, director of policy; and Erik Telford, director of AFP's RightOnline new media program. Tim Phillips is a former business partner of Ralph Reed, who was the executive director of the Christian Coalition when it rose to national prominence.

Americans for Prosperity is led by Tim Phillips, who was a former partner with Ralph Reed's Century Strategies. That organization became well-known when it was revealed in a US Senate investigation that convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff was laundering money through Century Strategies and Americans for Tax Reform to oppose legislation that his Indian tribe clients wanted to defeat. From 2003 to 2007 AFP was led by Nancy Pfotenhauer (Koch Industries' chief lobbyist from 1996 to 2001), who left to become an adviser for the 2008 John McCain presidential campaign.

For its outreach, the organization has chapters in 26 of the 50 US states.

Funding

Media Transparency notes that Americans for Prosperity Foundation has received seven grants totaling $1,181,000 between 2004 to 2006. Grants to the foundation have included:

• $1,000,000 from the Claude R. Lambe Charitable Foundation, one of the Koch Family Foundations;
• $125,000 from three grants over 2004 and 2005 from the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation;
• $50,000 in 2005 from the Ruth and Lovett Peters Foundation;
• $1,000 in 2006 from the Roe Foundation; and
• $5,000 in 2005 from the Armstrong Foundation;

In its 2007 annual tax return, the AFP Foundation's reported that its revenue was $5,695,000 with expenditure of $6,768,000. While the AFP Foundation ran at a loss of $1,072,000, it had a further $507,000 in reserves. Of its expenditure, $2,129,000 was spent on national office operations with just over $2.9 million allocated to the state-based chapters.

Based on its financial operations and programs, the independent Charity Navigator nonprofit review organization has given Americans For Prosperity Foundation a three-star rating out of four stars, and a 50.92 rating out of a possible 60 points.

Activities

Freedom from Foreign Oil Scorecard

The Freedom from Foreign Oil Scorecard is a legislative scorecard released by the Americans for Prosperity. The “Freedom from Foreign Oil” scorecard ranks US Representatives based on their support for – or opposition to – policies that Americans for Prosperity believes would lower gas and energy prices by increasing US supplies and making domestic production less expensive.

The “Freedom from Foreign Oil” scorecard ranks lawmakers based on a composite score of eight roll call votes and co-sponsorship of three initiatives. Co-sponsorships of bills that would allow off-shore and ANWR drilling were scored positively, while co-sponsorship of cap-and-trade legislation was scored negatively. Lawmakers received positive marks for votes against tax hikes on domestic petroleum and energy, and negative marks for a vote to oppose opening the outer continental shelf to natural gas exploration.

In total, 172 US Representatives were designated “Friends of the American Motorist” for achieving scores of 70 percent or higher, and 117 House lawmakers received perfect scores. The 214 Representatives with scores of 17 percent or lower were named “Friends of Foreign Oil.” Americans for Prosperity distributed t-shirts bearing the OPEC flag to the Capitol Hill offices of 156 lawmakers who scored zero, as well as localized news releases to media in their districts. Among those labeled “Friends of Foreign Oil” were House leadership members Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Steny Hoyer, Rep. James Clyburn, and Rep. Rahm Emanuel.

No Climate Tax Pledge

Americans for Prosperity has circulated a pledge to federal, state, and local officials. The pledge states that the official will oppose any climate change legislation that contains a net increase in federal, state, or local revenue.

As of August 2010, more than 600 lawmakers and candidates, primarily Republicans, have signed the pledge. Prominent pledge signers include Senators Pat Roberts and Roger Wicker; US Representatives Michelle Bachmann, John Carter, Jeff Flake, Jim Jordan, Doug Lamborn, Lynn Westmoreland, Phil Gingrey, and Tom Price; and candidates Jack Hoogendyk, Pete Olson, and Greg Davis.

Hot Air Tour

Another activity related to activism against carbon emission cuts is the Hot Air Tour featuring webcasts from the United Nations meeting COP15 in Copenhagen 2009.

Defending the American Dream Summit

AFP hosted an event in Washington D.C. entitled "Defending the American Dream Summit" on October 5, 2007. The topic was government spending and taxation. Presidential candidates who attended included Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Ron Paul, Sam Brownback, Mitt Romney, and Fred Thompson. Other speakers included John Stossel, Steve Lonegan, Dinesh D'Souza, Art Laffer, John Fund, Steve Moore, Herman Cain, Dr. Barry Poulson, and AFP founder David H. Koch.

A second Summit was held October 11, 2008. The 2009 Summit was held October 3, in Washington, DC to address health care reform legislation, economic policy, and proposed energy legislation. Speakers included Newt Gingrich, Jim DeMint, Mike Pence, Paul Ryan, and Michele Bachmann.

RightOnline

In July 2008, Americans for Prosperity hosted RightOnline, a conference of conservative bloggers in Austin, Texas. The conference brought together conservative activists to develop strategies to counter left-wing bloggers and develop conservative New Media techniques. The meeting was held in conjunction with the Texas AFP chapter's conference.

Political Ad Buy

During the summer of 2008, Americans for Prosperity funded a radio ad critical of a North Carolina US Senatorial challenger, Democrat Kay Hagan, for her position on taxes and offshore oil drilling.

Americans for Prosperity is currently running TV ads against 5th District Virginia Congressman, Tom Perriello

Patients United Now

In May 2009, Americans for Prosperity launched Patients United Now, a website self-described as a project offering information for those opposed to what they describe as "a government takeover of the United States health care system." A subsequent series of television ads in opposition to Democratic health care reform proposals was launched under the Patients United Now brand. In one TV ad, a Canadian woman "Shona Holmes" is featured saying she got a runaround for brain tumor surgery and ultimately was treated in the US, although she actually had a benign Rathke's Cleft Cyst on her pituitary gland. Columnist David Lazarus of the Los Angeles Times wrote that a single-payer Canadian style insurance system is not part of any leading reform proposal as the ad suggests. Media Matters for America called the ad "Strong on emotion and weak on facts." Amy Menefee, a spokeswoman for Patients United Now, replied to the criticism saying "The point of the ad is to show the extremes where things could go". "This would be a bigger role for government than we've ever seen. It's a power grab in this area of the economy."

On February 27, 2009, in collaboration with others, the organization sponsored a Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas and Washington, D.C. Tea party protest.

External links

• Americans for Prosperity Website
• Friends of Foreign Oil Scorecard
• Americans for Prosperity on SourceWatch