by Tim Phillips, Americans for Prosperity
As successful as 2010 was for our cause, it's important for us to understand just how big our challenge and opportunity is in 2011.
Together, you and I and our entire movement defeated cap-and-trade, defeated card check and in November sent a powerful, even historic, message to Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, President Obama and the entire Left in our nation.
Given the odds in Washington, D.C. and in state capitols across the nation up until now our challenge has been primarily two-fold: stopping terrible legislation while building up the grassroots strength of our movement.
In 2011, our challenge is bigger and tougher but the rewards are far better if we succeed.
In 2011, we must actually make sure our elected legislators PASS good free market initiatives that will get our economy moving again and restore our economic freedoms.
At Americans for Prosperity, we're asking you to join us once again as we fight three key public policy battles during the coming year.
Overturning or at a minimum weakening the Pelosi/Reid/Obama health care takeover.
Quite simply, this bill was an unprecedented assault on our freedom and prosperity and it cannot stand. We will push for a quick vote on full repeal in the House and Senate and put pressure on them to get the key two-thirds required to overcome a presidential veto. We'll then push Congress to dismantle the law through appropriations riders
Rolling back the Obama Administration's regulatory attempts to cheat the American people by implementing the very policies already rejected by Congress.
We saw it with the Christmas Eve vote at the FCC to regulate the Internet, the EPA's outrageous global warming regulations to do cap-and-trade by the backdoor (which I recently wrote about in the Wall Street Journal with the incoming chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee), and the brazen return of so-called "end-of-life counseling" in Medicare. We will demand Congress stand up and stop these regulatory power grabs.
Use the coming federal and state budget battles to win substantial, sustainable spending cuts and long-term spending reforms that shrink the size of government.
This year will be the key turning point on the overall out-of-control growth of government spending. This time the side of spending restraint has a grassroots army to keep the heat on and ensure we get real reforms and real cuts before we reach a genuine crisis point. We're counting on you to help us keep the heat on.
This agenda is ambitious and bold. But, it must be accomplished if we are to take the next step toward taking our nation back for freedom and prosperity.
We will accomplish this agenda only if grassroots activists like you commit to standing side-by-side with us. You've been there before and I trust you'll be there again.
Enjoy the last days of this blessed Holiday Season secure in the knowledge that we are winning.
But, it's not over yet. Not by a long shot!
Tim
PS: Please forward this email to your friends, family, and neighbors and ask them to join us on www.AmericansforProsperity.org. We'll need their help to win these big 2011 fights.
