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Non-profit

Advancing American Freedom

Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(4)

Website:

advancingamericanfreedom.com
Formation:

2021
Type:

Political Advocacy
Founder:

Mike Pence

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Advancing American Freedom (AAF) is a non-profit organization founded by former Vice President Mike Pence that advocates for right-of-center policy proposals relating to religious liberty, economics, and foreign policy. 1

Activity

Advancing American Freedom was founded on April 7, 2021 by former Vice President Mike Pence. 2 It advocates for conservative public policy solutions, in an effort to preserve traditional American values and expand economic, political, and religious freedom. It aims to defend many of the policies established during the Trump administration, claiming that these policies strengthened the U.S economy and America’s leadership abroad. 3

Advancing American Freedom advocates for pro-life policies, laws protecting religious liberty, and school choice, including education savings plans. 4

In economic policy, AAF supports rolling back regulation, favors U.S. energy independence, and endorses trade agreements modeled on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA. It asserts that the Trump administration’s pro-growth policies increased job and income growth in the U.S. to record levels. 5

In foreign policy, AAF advocates for finishing the border wall between the U.S. and Mexico, continued brokering of peace agreements between Israel and other countries in the Middle East, and further expanding the U.S. military, including increased growth of the Space Force established during the Trump administration. 6

People

Leadership

Mike Pence is the founder of the Advancing American Freedom. Pence served as the 48th vice president of the U.S. under President Donald Trump and the 50th governor of Indiana. Pence is a distinguished visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Scholar at Young America’s Foundation. 7

Paul Teller is the executive director of AAF. Teller formerly worked in various leadership roles for the House Republican Study Committee and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). 8

Advisory Board

Marty Obst is a co-chair of Advancing American Freedom. Obst formerly served as chair of the Great America Committee PAC and in various advisory roles for the Republican Governors Association, National Republican Congressional Committee, and America First Policies. 9

Chip Saltsman is a co-chair of AAF. Saltsman formerly served as chair of the Tennessee Republican Party and as campaign manager for the 2008 presidential campaign of former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR). 10

Marc Short is a co-chair of AAF. Short formerly worked as chief of staff to Pence and formerly led Young America’s Foundation and Freedom Partners. 11

Jessica Anderson is the executive director of Heritage Action for America. 12

David Bernhardt served as the U.S. Secretary of the Interior during the Trump Administration. 13

Kellyanne Conway formerly served as campaign manager and a senior counselor to former President Donald Trump. 14

Ken Cribb formerly worked as president of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute and as a presidential advisor during the Reagan Administration. 15

Jim Daly is president and CEO of Focus on the Family. 16

Marjorie Dannenfelser is the president of Susan B. Anthony List and the national co-chair of the Pro-Life Voices for Trump coalition. 17

Former Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) is former president of the Heritage Foundation, and former senior advisor at Citizens for Self-Governance. 18

Doug Ducey is the Governor of Arizona. 19

Mike Farris is the president and CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom and serves as chair of the board of the Home School Legal Defense Association. 20

Ed Feulner is the founder of the Heritage Foundation and twice served as its president. 21

Newt Gingrich served as the Speaker of the House as a Republican from 1995 to 1999. 22

Rebecca Hagelin is a former vice president at the Heritage Foundation. 23

Kay Coles James was the president of the Heritage Foundation until 2021. 24

Larry Kudlow served as director of the National Economic Council during the Trump Administration. 25

Jenny Beth Martin is the CEO of the Tea Party Patriots. 26

David McIntosh is the president of the Club for Growth and co-founder and board member of the Federalist Society. 27

Ed Meese served as the U.S. attorney general during the Reagan administration and as a member of the presidential transition team for the Trump administration. 28

Penny Nance is the president and CEO of Concerned Women for America, the founder and former president of the Kids First Coalition, and former member of the Trump Administration’s Life Advisory Council. 30

Star Parker is the founder and president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education. Parker sits on the board of the Leadership Institute. 31

Former Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) formerly served as director of national intelligence. 32

Rick Santorum is a Republican politician and former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania. 33

Russ Vought is the president of Center for Renewing America. Vought formerly worked as vice president of Heritage Action for America, policy director for the House Republican Conference, and executive director of the Republican Study Committee. 34

Scott Walker is the former Governor of Wisconsin. 35

Andrew Wheeler formerly served as the Environmental Protection Agency administrator during the Trump Administration. 36 “Andrew Wheeler.” Ballotpedia. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://ballotpedia.org/Andrew_Wheeler.

References

  1. “‘About.’” Advancing American Freedom. Accessed December 17, 2021. https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/.
  2. Weigel, David. “The Trailer: Worried incumbents, MAGA celebrities, stingy corporations: Winners and losers of the first fundraising quarter.” Washington Post. April 15, 2021. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/04/15/trailer-worried-incumbents-maga-celebrities-stingy-corporations-winners-losers-first-fundraising-quarter/.
  3. “About.” Advancing American Freedom. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/.
  4. “Issues.” Advancing American Freedom. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/issues/.
  5. “Issues.” Advancing American Freedom. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/issues/.
  6. “Issues.” Advancing American Freedom. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/issues/.
  7. “About.” Advancing American Freedom. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/.
  8. “About.” Advancing American Freedom. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/.
  9. “About.” Advancing American Freedom. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/.
  10. “About.” Advancing American Freedom. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/.
  11. “About.” Advancing American Freedom. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/.
  12. “Jessica Anderson.” LinkedIn. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-anderson-12110b21/.
  13. “David Bernhardt.” Ballotpedia. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://ballotpedia.org/David_Bernhardt.
  14. “Kellyanne Conway.” Ballotpedia. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://ballotpedia.org/Kellyanne_Conway.
  15. “Hon. T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr.” The Federalist Society, 2021. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://fedsoc.org/contributors/kenneth-cribb.
  16. “Jim Daly.” Focus on the Family. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://www.focusonthefamily.com/about/media/jim-daly/.
  17. “Marjorie Dannenfelser.” Susan B. Anthony List. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://www.sba-list.org/marjorie-dannenfelser.
  18. “Jim DeMint.” Ballotpedia. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://ballotpedia.org/Jim_DeMint.
  19. “Doug Ducey.” Ballotpedia. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://ballotpedia.org/Doug_Ducey.
  20. “Michael P. Farris, President and CEO.” Alliance Defending Freedom, 2021. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://adflegal.org/biography/michael-p-farris-president-and-ceo.
  21. “Edwin J. Feulner.” The Heritage Foundation. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://www.heritage.org/staff/edwin-feulner.
  22. “Newt Gingrich.” Ballotpedia. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://ballotpedia.org/Newt_Gingrich.
  23. “Rebecca Hagelin.”LinkedIn, 2021. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hagelin-0773a86/.
  24. “Kay C. James.” The Heritage Foundation. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://www.heritage.org/staff/kay-c-james.
  25. “Larry Kudlow.” Ballotpedia. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://ballotpedia.org/Larry_Kudlow.
  26. “Jenny Beth Martin.” Ballotpedia. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://ballotpedia.org/Jenny_Beth_Martin.
  27. “David McIntosh.” Club for Growth. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://www.clubforgrowth.org/staff/david-mcintosh/.
  28. “Ed Meese.” Ballotpedia. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://ballotpedia.org/Ed_Meese.
  30. “Penny Young Nance.” Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, 2021. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://concernedwomen.org/about/our-experts-staff-and-board-of-trustees/penny-young-nance/.

    Lisa Nelson is the CEO of the American Legislative Exchange Council. 29 “Lisa B. Nelson.” American Legislative Exchange Council. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://www.alec.org/person/lisa-b-nelson/.

  31. “Star Parker.” Center for Urban Renewal and Education. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://curepolicy.org/star-parker/.
  32. “John Ratcliffe.” Ballotpedia. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://ballotpedia.org/John_Ratcliffe.
  33. “Rick Santorum.” Ballotpedia. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://ballotpedia.org/Rick_Santorum.
  34. “About.” Center for Renewing America. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://americarenewing.com/about/.
  35. “Scott Walker (Wisconsin).” Ballotpedia. Accessed October 8, 2021. https://ballotpedia.org/Scott_Walker_(Wisconsin).
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