The Heritage Foundation is a renowned public policy research institute based in Washington, DC. Established in 1973, the organization is devoted to formulating and promoting policies that are based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and strong national defense. It is widely regarded as one of the most influential public policy research institutes in the world and has enjoyed particular prominence during the Reagan administration. Its initial funding was provided by Joseph Coors, of the Coors brewing empire, and Richard Mellon Scaife, heir to Mellon's industrial and banking fortune.
Its founders include Paul Weyrich and Mickey Edwards. The Heritage Foundation has strong ties with the London Institute for Economic Affairs and the Mont Pelerin Society. It has also partnered with Heritage Action, a campaign division led by Jessica Anderson. The estate administrator, Hans von Spakovsky, a conservative lawyer, held private meetings with key state election officials to develop strategies to promote their common goal of ensuring the integrity of the elections they administer in their home states. The Heritage Foundation has also been involved in foreign policy debates.
In recent years, senators have delivered a series of speeches in which they denounced the denial of climate change by 32 organizations linked to interests related to fossil fuels, including the Heritage Foundation. In response, Roger Severino, Vice President of National Policy at Heritage, released a statement applauding dozens of states that are taking steps to protect as many innocent human lives as possible. The Heritage Foundation has received funding from organizations related to the Koch brothers and Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund. It has also drafted a policy manual in preparation for a Republican administration to take over the federal government in 2025. Furthermore, Heritage and its political arm, Heritage Action for America, have spent tens of millions of dollars promoting their own model bills that impose strict restrictions on voting. The Foundation has provided funding to the National Policy Council and many of its employees are members. In recent years, several dozen employees have abandoned the 275-person foundation.
Jason Snead, a former Heritage Foundation staff member who created the Heritage voter fraud database, was quoted as saying that “the purpose behind this” was to protect innocent human lives. In the post-Trump era, several new organizations are now competing in a political arena that was once dominated by Heritage. The organization recently replaced James with Kevin Roberts, former leader of the Texas Public Policy Foundation whose objectives align more closely with Trump supporters. So what advocacy campaigns is the Heritage Foundation currently working on? The answer is yes. The organization is actively engaged in several initiatives that aim to restrict access to ballots and amplify complaints of electoral fraud. It is also involved in foreign policy debates and continues to promote its own model bills that impose strict restrictions on voting.
