American Solutions for Winning the Future
Encyclopedia
American Solutions for Winning the Future (often referred to as American Solutions) was a 527 organization created by former Speaker
of the United States House of Representatives
Newt Gingrich
for the stated purpose of engaging citizens and elected officials in a dialogue intended to propose solutions to problems affecting American society. It first received national attention for its 2008 effort, "Drill Here. Drill Now. Pay Less", focused on the issue of offshore drilling
. It has also focused on the U.S. unemployment rate and issue of job creation. The organization closed in July, 2011.
American Solutions was one of the nation's largest grassroots organizations with more than 1.5 million members and more than 200,000 donations from individuals and organizations. The group also employed more than 20 staff members.
American Solutions was officially launched with an opening presentation on September 27, 2007 before a standing-room only crowd at the Cobb Galleria Center in Atlanta, Georgia
, which featured then-Governor Sonny Purdue. On September 29, 2007, American Solutions held its first "Solutions Day" with more than 2,000 workshops across the United States, designed to help volunteers learn how to get involved with government activism at the state, federal and local level. American Solutions' broad goals include transforming government "from bloated bureaucracy to lean machine."
In October 2010, American Solutions Director of Internet Strategy was named at George Washington University
's PoliticsOnline conference as one of the "Top 10 Who Are Changing the World of Internet and Politics", joined by fellow winners including President Barack Obama
, MTV
and The Huffington Post
. The same month, Politico reported American Solutions had raised more than $10 million dollars during the 2010 year.
political slogan coined on May 20, 2008 by former speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich
and the organization to advocate for increased use of America's domestic energy resources to help lower the cost of oil.
The slogan inspired the title of Gingrich's 2008 book Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less: A Handbook for Slashing Gas Prices and Solving Our Energy Crisis.
aimed to convince Congress that Americans, including representatives from both major parties as well as Independents
, want them to open oil drilling in Alaska
's Wildlife Reserve and off the Atlantic, Pacific and Florida Gulf coasts, and to extract shale oil
from the Rocky Mountains
, in order to make the country independent from foreign oil. over 1,450,000 citizens had signed. South Carolina Republican Party
chairman Katon Dawson
was the first state party chair to endorse the campaign. On September 27, 2008 Congress voted to lift the ban on offshore drilling
.
rate of 12.5 percent; and the abolishment of the estate tax and capital gains tax
.
passed in 2010. The site included a petition calling for the bill’s repeal as well as tools for activists. As of January 19, 2011, the petition had gathered more than 100,000 signatures.
, it raised $2.4 million in the first half of 2011, but spent $2.9 million.
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
for the stated purpose of engaging citizens and elected officials in a dialogue intended to propose solutions to problems affecting American society. It first received national attention for its 2008 effort, "Drill Here. Drill Now. Pay Less", focused on the issue of offshore drilling
Offshore drilling
Offshore drilling refers to a mechanical process where a wellbore is drilled through the seabed. It is typically carried out in order to explore for and subsequently produce hydrocarbons which lie in rock formations beneath the seabed...
. It has also focused on the U.S. unemployment rate and issue of job creation. The organization closed in July, 2011.
Overview
The organization described itself as "tripartisan" and placed an emphasis on addressing the "growing gap between a world that works (mostly but not completely private sector) and a world that fails (mostly but not completely government bureaucracies)" and remaking government to reflect the "habits, patterns, investments, and systems of productivity that characterize much of the modern world outside bureaucracy."American Solutions was one of the nation's largest grassroots organizations with more than 1.5 million members and more than 200,000 donations from individuals and organizations. The group also employed more than 20 staff members.
Organization
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, which featured then-Governor Sonny Purdue. On September 29, 2007, American Solutions held its first "Solutions Day" with more than 2,000 workshops across the United States, designed to help volunteers learn how to get involved with government activism at the state, federal and local level. American Solutions' broad goals include transforming government "from bloated bureaucracy to lean machine."
In October 2010, American Solutions Director of Internet Strategy was named at George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
's PoliticsOnline conference as one of the "Top 10 Who Are Changing the World of Internet and Politics", joined by fellow winners including President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
. The same month, Politico reported American Solutions had raised more than $10 million dollars during the 2010 year.
Initiatives
"Drill Here. Drill Now." is an AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
political slogan coined on May 20, 2008 by former speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
and the organization to advocate for increased use of America's domestic energy resources to help lower the cost of oil.
The slogan inspired the title of Gingrich's 2008 book Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less: A Handbook for Slashing Gas Prices and Solving Our Energy Crisis.
Drill Here. Drill Now. Pay Less
American Solutions was widely known for Drill Here. Drill Now. Pay Less. A petitionPetition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....
aimed to convince Congress that Americans, including representatives from both major parties as well as Independents
Independent (voter)
An independent voter, those who register as an unaffiliated voter in the United States, is a voter of a democratic country who does not align him- or herself with a political party...
, want them to open oil drilling in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
's Wildlife Reserve and off the Atlantic, Pacific and Florida Gulf coasts, and to extract shale oil
Shale oil
Shale oil, known also as kerogen oil or oil-shale oil, is an unconventional oil produced from oil shale by pyrolysis, hydrogenation, or thermal dissolution. These processes convert the organic matter within the rock into synthetic oil and gas...
from the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
, in order to make the country independent from foreign oil. over 1,450,000 citizens had signed. South Carolina Republican Party
South Carolina Republican Party
The South Carolina Republican Party and the South Carolina Democratic Party are the two major political parties within the U.S. state of South Carolina...
chairman Katon Dawson
Katon Dawson
Katon Edwards Dawson is an American politician from the state of South Carolina, former chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party and was a 2009 candidate for chairman of the Republican National Committee.-Early life:...
was the first state party chair to endorse the campaign. On September 27, 2008 Congress voted to lift the ban on offshore drilling
Offshore drilling
Offshore drilling refers to a mechanical process where a wellbore is drilled through the seabed. It is typically carried out in order to explore for and subsequently produce hydrocarbons which lie in rock formations beneath the seabed...
.
Jobs Here. Jobs Now. Jobs First
In August 2009, American Solutions launched the "Jobs Here. Jobs Now. Jobs First" campaign, also known as the "Real Jobs Tour", to combat unemployment levels, then approaching 10 percent across the United States. The plan outlined five major tax cuts to boost the American economy, including a two-year, 50 percent reduction in payroll taxes; a 100 percent annual write-off for small businesses' new equipment purchases; adoption of the Irish corporate taxCorporation tax in the Republic of Ireland
Corporation tax in the Republic of Ireland is a levy on a company’s profits. The tax is charged on both a company's income and chargeable gains. The corporation tax in Ireland is quite low, and is often cited as an example of tax competition, as it is used as an incentive for foreign companies to...
rate of 12.5 percent; and the abolishment of the estate tax and capital gains tax
Capital gains tax
A capital gains tax is a tax charged on capital gains, the profit realized on the sale of a non-inventory asset that was purchased at a lower price. The most common capital gains are realized from the sale of stocks, bonds, precious metals and property...
.
No More Obamacare
On January 6, 2011, American Solutions launched NoMoreObamacare.com, a website encouraging congressional Republican lawmakers to defund and repeal the federal health care legislationPatient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
passed in 2010. The site included a petition calling for the bill’s repeal as well as tools for activists. As of January 19, 2011, the petition had gathered more than 100,000 signatures.
Dissolution
Gingrich left the organization when he announced his forming an exploratory committee to run for president in March 2011, as required by law. The organization was dissolved in July 2011, according to Joe Gaylord, who took over after Gingrich's departure. "We had difficulty raising money after Newt left", said Gaylord. During its four years it raised $52 million but spent nearly two-thirds of that on fundraising. According to an August 2011 filing with the IRSInternal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
, it raised $2.4 million in the first half of 2011, but spent $2.9 million.