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| Republican Liberty Caucus | |
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| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Washington, D.C. |
| Type: | 527 group |
| Affiliation: | Republican |
| Top official: | Matt Nye, Chair |
| Year founded: | 1991 |
| Website: | Official website |
The Republican Liberty Caucus is a 527 group "dedicated to working within the Republican Party to advance the principles of individual rights, limited government and free markets."[1] The group also has an affiliated political action committee, RLC-USA PAC.
The website for the Republican Liberty Caucus of Ohio lists the following mission statement:[1]
| “ | The mission of the Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) is to return the Republican Party to its ideological roots of limited government, free enterprise and personal liberty and responsibility.[2] | ” |
The Republican Liberty Caucus is a grassroots 527 group that works within the Republican Party to advance its mission of limited government and personal liberty. The group was organized officially in 1991 and has attempted "to have an influence within the Republican Party rather than to go the third party route."[3] Past national chairs of the group include Roger MacBride (former Libertarian Party presidential candidate), Chuck Muth (former executive director of the American Conservative Union) and Ron Paul (former U.S. Representative from Texas). In election years, the group is active in endorsing candidates based on their answers in an issues survey.
In 2015, the group announced that former Libertarian Party vice presidential candidate Wayne Allyn Root would assume the role of advisory board chair. Upon his appointment, Root said, "Given the popularity of the Tea Party message, it makes sense to work within the Republican Party to return the GOP to the ideology of Ronald Reagan, Barry Goldwater and Jack Kemp. That is exactly the mission of the Republican Liberty Caucus, and I’m here to inject a dose of world-class energy and enthusiasm!"[4]
The group's PAC, RLC-USA PAC, donates to Republican candidates who "stand strongly" for the principles outlined in the group's mission statement. The PAC gives preferential consideration for candidates who sign "The Liberty Compact," a pledge to work in accordance with the group's principles. The compact reads:[5]
| “ | I pledge to the citizens of this State, and to the American people, that as their elected representative I will work to: Restore liberty, not restrict it; Shrink government, not expand it; Reduce taxes, not raise them; Abolish programs, not create them; Promote the freedom and independence of citizens, not the interference of government in their lives; and Observe the limited, enumerated powers of our Constitution, not ignore them.[2] | ” |
In the 2014 election cycle, the PAC contributed $7,250 to committees, including those of Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.), Rep. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.).[6]
The organization lists the following individuals as officers and board members for the Republican Liberty Caucus:[7]
✓ Republican Liberty Caucus endorsed Rand Paul for the Republican primary in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.[8]
| 2016 Presidential Endorsements by Influencer Organizations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Organization | Candidate | Date | Source |
| November 2016 | Detroit Free Press | ||
| November 2016 | The Economist | ||
| October 2016 | Financial Times | ||
| October 2016 | The State | ||
| October 2016 | Politico | ||
| October 2016 | Las Vegas Review-Journal | ||
| October 2016 | Wisconsin State Journal | ||
| October 2016 | The Des Moines Register | ||
| October 2016 | The Washington Post | ||
| October 2016 | The Salt Lake Tribune | ||
| October 2016 | The Columbus Dispatch | ||
| October 2016 | The Charlotte Observer | ||
| October 2016 | San Antonio Express-News | ||
| September 2016 | Sun Sentinel | ||
| September 2016 | Chicago Sun-Times | ||
| September 2016 | The San Diego Union-Tribune | ||
| September 2016 | The Baltimore Sun | ||
| September 2016 | Chicago Tribune | ||
| September 2016 | The Detroit News | ||
| September 2016 | The Arizona Republic | ||
| September 2016 | The Huffington Post | ||
| September 2016 | Akron Beacon Journal | ||
| September 2016 | El Paso Times | ||
| September 2016 | Cincinnati.com | ||
| September 2016 | The New York Times | ||
| September 2016 | The Dallas Morning News | ||
| September 2016 | Politico | ||
| August 2016 | The Hill | ||
| August 2016 | San Francisco Chronicle | ||
| August 2016 | The Washington Post | ||
| July 2016 | Houston Chronicle | ||
| July 2016 | UniteHere.org | ||
| July 2016 | The Hill | ||
| June 2016 | Sierra Club | ||
| June 2016 | Politico | ||
| May 2016 | The Washington Post | ||
| May 2016 | Politico | ||
| May 2016 | The Los Angeles Times | ||
| May 2016 | Los Angeles Times | ||
| April 2016 | New York Post | ||
| April 2016 | New York Daily News | ||
| March 2016 | National Review | ||
| March 2016 | Bloomberg | ||
| February 2016 | NBC News | ||
| March 2016 | Miami Herald | ||
| February 2016 | The Huffington Post | ||
| February 2016 | Star Tribune | ||
| February 2016 | Richmond Times-Dispatch | ||
| February 2016 | The Hill | ||
| February 2016 | The Detroit News | ||
| January 2016 | The Huffington Post | ||
| January 2016 | The Washington Post | ||
| January 2016 | The Huffington Post | ||
| December 2015 | Politico | ||
| December 2015 | Washington Blade | ||
| November 2015 | The Huffington Post | ||
| October 2015 | The Huffington Post | ||
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Categories: [National influencers] [organizations] [Conservative influencers] [527] [Mothballed influencers]