Citizens for Renewing America

The group published a handbook for parents and lawmakers opposed to teaching critical race theory in schools. ¹ Following the publication, Twitter briefly suspended the organization from its service. ²

Background

Citizens for Renewing America is the advocacy arm of the Center for Renewing America, a conservative think tank founded by Russel Vought, the former director of the Office of Management and Budget during the Trump administration. The organization was founded in 2021 after President Donald Trump left office. ^{1 3}

The key policy issues for Citizens for Renewing America are taking on big tech, opposing the teaching of critical race theory in schools, supporting election integrity, advocating for secure borders, “ending endless wars,” opposing big government and supporting “healthy communities.” ⁴

Critical Race Theory

Citizens for Renewing America created a 33-page book as an “A to Z guide” to stop the teaching of critical race theory in schools. ¹ The handbook, titled Combatting Critical Race Theory In Your Community, is meant to be a resource for both parents and for state legislators. ⁵

At one point, Twitter suspended the accounts of Center for Renewing America and Citizens for Renewing America. The liberal group Media Matters for America published a piece critical of the booklet. ⁶ Vought said Twitter informed the organizations the accounts were shut down because of “enforcement bots,” but didn’t elaborate. “This occurred soon after we launched an important anti-CRT tool kit and a radical left outlet put forward wild conspiracy theories about it,” Vought wrote on Twitter. ²

Vought joined lawmakers at a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, in May 2021 opposing teaching critical race theory in state schools. ⁷

Leadership

Russ Vought is the founder and president of the Center for Renewing America and Citizens for Renewing America. Vought was previously director and deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Donald Trump. ⁸ Before working for the Trump administration, Vought was the vice president of Heritage Action for America. He was previously the policy director for the House Republican Conference under then-Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) and was the executive director of the Republican Study Committee. ⁸

Wade Miller is the executive director of Citizens for Renewing America. Miller, an Iraq War veteran in the U.S. Marines, previously worked for Heritage Action for America and was the political director for Senator Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) 2018 re-election campaign. ⁸