Future Forward USA Action (Future Forward USA) is a left-of-center organization that creates, advertises, and submits petitions on a variety of issues, including the economy, health care, welfare spending, and election laws. [1] The organization has also made considerable contributions to political action committees (PACs) that support the election of Democratic Party politicians. [2]
Background
Future Forward USA was created in 2018 and led by Chauncey Mclean. The organization is an affiliate of the Future Forward USA PAC. [3]
Finances
In 2018, Future Forward USA received $6,942,885 in contributions, [4] incurred $2,877,797 in expenses, [5] and possessed $4,030,742 in net assets. [6]
2020 Election
In 2020, Future Forward USA Action made $61,002,270 in contributions to the Future Forward USA PAC, [7] which in turn engaged in a more than $70 million “blitz” spending campaign in support of Joe Biden during the last five weeks of the 2020 presidential campaign. [8]
Petitions
Economy
Future Forward USA distributes petitions that support expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit, a mechanism used to directly distribute taxpayer revenue to low-income families, [9] and which during the COVID-19 pandemic, and afterwards, was used to directly redistribute income to families with children 17 and younger. [10]
Healthcare
Future Forward USA distributes petitions that advocate for increased government control over healthcare. The organization has posted petitions that urge petitioners to demand that their Congressional representatives support the Affordable Care Act, also referred to as Obamacare. [11]
Infrastructure Spending
Future Forward USA has posted a petition urging readers to call the United States Senate and leave a contact number. The petition instructs readers to urge their Senator to support investment infrastructure, claiming that increased infrastructure spending will support the middle class. [12]
Election Law
Future Forward USA states that its readers should support stronger sanctions against foreign interference in elections, claiming that “Russian meddling in our elections drowns out the voices of ordinary Americans.” [13] Future Forward USA endorsed false claims that Donald Trump colluded with the Russian government during the 2016 presidential election.
Despite engaging in tens of millions of dollars in free speech activity through contributions to PACs, the organization advocates for “robust” rules limiting such activity. [14]
Leadership
Chauncey McLean is the president of Future Forward USA. Prior to joining the organization, he was the director of media tracking for the Democratic National Committee from 2011-2012. [15] McLean worked on the 2012 Obama Presidential Campaign, and was instrumental in developing data-mining and analytics as common practices in political campaigns. [16]
He is also the founder and head of development for Berkeley Yeast, [17] a corporation that develops unique strains of yeast for beer and wine production. [18]