The Club for Growth is a 501(c)(4) political organizationOrganizational Profile – National Center for Charitable Statistics (Urban Institute). active in the United States, with a fiscally conservativeKacich, Tom (February 11, 2016). UPDATED: Coming to a TV near you: Congressional attack ads. The News-Gazette. Retrieved: February 18, 2016. agenda focused on tax cuts and other economic policy issues.
The club has two political arms: Club for Growth PAC, a traditional political action committee, and Club for Growth Action, an independent-expenditure only committee or super-PAC.
According to its website, the Club for Growth's policy goals include cutting income tax rates, repealing the estate tax, supporting limited government and a balanced budget amendment, entitlement reform (including Social Security reform, Medicare and Medicaid reform), tort reform, school choice, and deregulation.
The Club for Growth PAC endorses and raises money for candidates who meet its standards for fiscal conservatism. According to Politico, "The Club for Growth is the pre-eminent institution promoting Republican adherence to a free-market, free-trade, anti-regulation agenda."
History The Club for Growth was founded in 1999 by Stephen Moore, Thomas L. Rhodes, and Richard Gilder. Moore served as the first president of the Club from 1999 until December 2004, when board members voted to remove Moore as president. In 2003 through 2004, the Club for Growth was the largest single fundraiser for Republican House and Senate candidates, outside of the Republican Party itself, raising nearly $22 million.
Future Pennsylvania United States Senator Pat Toomey served as president from 2005 until his resignation in April 2009. Former Indiana Congressman Chris Chocola succeeded Toomey. Chocola served as president through December 2014. He remains a member of the Club's board. Former Indiana Congressman David McIntosh was named president in January 2015.
On September 19, 2005, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) filed suit against the Club for Growth alleging violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act for failing to register as a political action committee in the 2000, 2002, and 2004 congressional elections. In September 2007, the Citizens Club for Growth (the Club for Growth changed its name) and the FEC agreed to settle the lawsuit.AP, "Citizens Club for Growth to pay fine", USA Today, September 5, 2007. According to the Associated Press, the settlement was one of "a series of actions by the FEC to penalize independent political groups that spent money to influence elections but did not register as political committees. The groups, called 527 organizations for the section of the IRS code...played a significant role in the 2004 congressional and presidential elections by raising unlimited amounts of money from labor groups, corporations and wealthy individuals."
In 2010, the Club's political arms spent about $8.6 million directly on candidates and bundled another $6 million from Club members, directing those funds to candidates. In 2012, according to OpenSecrets, Club members donated at least $4 million, and the Club's political arms spent nearly $18 million on elections.
In 2013, the Club for Growth super PAC's donors included Peter Thiel, an early backer of Facebook and a co-founder of PayPal, who gave $2 million; Virginia James ($1.2 million); John W. Childs ($1.1 million), chairman and founder of the Boston-based private equity firm J.W. Childs Associates; Robert D. Arnott ($750,000), the chairman and chief executive of California-based Research Affiliates; Robert Mercer, the co-chief executive of Renaissance Technologies and part-owner of Cambridge Analytica, gave $600,000; and hedge fund manager Paul Singer gave $100,000.Yang, Jia Lynn (October 11, 2013). "Here's who pays the bills for Ted Cruz's crusade". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 20, 2019
The Club for Growth's super PAC, which historically has been most active in Republican primary elections, spent more in general elections in the 2018 cycle than it ever had before. This trend was expected to continue into 2020. Club for Growth president David McIntosh described the Club's evolution, saying "We want to be the political arm of the conservative movement—inside the Republican Party."
In June 2020, The Hill wrote that the Club was "flexing its financial muscle this year, doling out millions of dollars to conservative congressional candidates and outspending most other outside groups as it looks to help the GOP keep control of the Senate and improve Republican chances in the House." The Club for Growth raised $55 million in 2020, "making 2020 its most lucrative cycle yet." The Club, which said it planned to spend at least $35 million in the 2020 election cycle, outspent most other groups not affiliated with presidential candidates. According to a Guardian analysis, the organization was one of the biggest backers of the Republican lawmakers who tried to overturn the 2020 US election results. It spent $20 million to support its campaigns in 2018 and 2020. One of the largest donors was Jeff Yass who in 2020 donated $20.7 million to the Club. As of 2021, the Club for Growth's largest funders were Yass and Richard Uihlein.
Mission
Founder Stephen Moore has said, "We want to be seen as the tax cut enforcer in the [Republican] party."Running on empty: how the Democratic and Republican Parties are bankrupting our future By Peter G. Peterson. Unlike many other political action committees, the Club for Growth's PAC regularly participates in funding candidates for primary elections. The Club focuses more on open seats than on challenging sitting Republicans, but it has helped to unseat a number of incumbent Republicans. The Club for Growth has established a vetting process for potential candidates that involves one or more interviews, research on the race and the candidate's record, and a poll conducted to establish whether the candidate has a viable chance for victory. Each election cycle, the Club's PAC endorses candidates and encourages donors to support the endorsed candidates. Promoting a more conservative agenda, the Club is known for targeting "establishment" Republican candidates.
Issue advocacy
2003 In 2003, the original Club for Growth strongly opposed the Medicare prescription drug benefit proposal. The Club for Growth strongly supported the Bush tax cuts of 2003 and ran television ads against two Republicans who voiced opposition to the tax cuts. According to The New York Times, "Last spring, [Club for Growth president Steve] Moore attacked two Republican Senators who were resisting the latest tax cut: George Voinovich of Ohio and Olympia Snowe of Maine. He ran ads in each of their states in which he compared them with the French president, Jacques Chirac. Karl Rove, President Bush's political advisor, stated that the ads were "stupid" and "counterproductive".
2005 In 2005, Pat Toomey became president and the Club for Growth created a congressional scorecard. The Club's first key vote alert was an amendment sponsored by a Democrat. Representative Earl Blumenauer offered an amendment to an agricultural appropriations bill that would have reduced the sugar program by 6 percent. The Club for Growth supported the amendment, which failed, 146–280.
The Club fought to support the Dominican Republic–Central America Free Trade Agreement in 2005, running print advertisements in local Beltway publications in the Washington, DC area. According to Roll Call, "Former Rep. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), president of the Club for Growth, a CAFTA supporter, said his group continued running advertisements before the Congressional vote."
The Club opposed the 2005 highway bill. President Bush threatened to veto the bill but did sign it. The Christian Science Monitor quoted David Keating saying, "For fiscal conservatives, it's frustrating to watch ... He's beginning to lose all credibility with these veto threats." According to The Washington Post, "The Club for Growth, a conservative group that funds like-minded candidates for Congress, has turned the highway legislation into a bumper sticker for the GOP's fiscal failings.
Keating said to the Chicago Sun-Times, "It is a pork-laden bill." The Christian Science Monitor reported Toomey saying,
"This is a defining moment. The Republican Party came to power in 1995 by advocating limited government. But in the last four to five years, there has been no evidence that the Republican officials in the federal government have any remaining commitment to this vital principle."
During the debate on the highway bill, the Club supported an amendment by Tom Coburn that would defund the noted Gravina Island Bridge, from Ketchikan to the island in Southeast Alaska.
Following the Supreme Court's Kelo v. City of New London decision, the Club gained an appropriations amendment by Scott Garrett to prohibit funds in the bill from being used to enforce the Court's decision. The amendment passed, 231–189. The Club for Growth PAC highlighted this vote when it targeted Joe Schwarz, a House Republican who it helped defeat in 2006, claiming he was too liberal.
2006 In the spring of 2006, the Club opposed the 527 Reform Act, which curtailed spending by such political organizations. It led a coalition of center-right groups in sending letters to Congress to support its position. The House passed the 527 Reform Act by a margin of 218–209, but the Senate did not consider the legislation.
The Club for Growth supported various amendments to cut earmarks in the budget, such as "dairy education" and a "wine initiative." The Club included assessment of sponsorship of the card check bill in its scorecard. If lawmakers co-sponsored the bill, they were docked points in the rating system.
2007 The Club for Growth issued a new scorecard in 2007 that highlighted how House members voted on several amendments that defunded earmarks. Sixteen congressmen scored a perfect 100% on the so-called "RePORK Card", voting for all 50 anti-pork amendments. They were all Republicans. Conversely, 105 congressmen (81 Democrats and 24 Republicans) scored a 0%, voting against every single amendment. In 2007, the Club also scored against House bills that increased the minimum wage, implemented card check, and sought caps on CEO pay. In the Senate, the Club scored against bills that increased the minimum wage, passage of the farm bill, and the SCHIP healthcare plan.
In 2007, the Club for Growth opposed protectionist policies against China. Senators Chuck Schumer of New York and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina had proposed a bill to apply large tariffs on Chinese imports if that country did not increase the value of its currency. In response, the Club sponsored a petition of 1,028 economists who stated their opposition to protectionist policies against China. The list of economists included Nobel Laureates Finn Kydland, Edward Prescott, Thomas Schelling, and Vernon Smith. The petition played off a similar petition that was also signed by 1,028 economists in 1930 that opposed the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act.
2008–09 In 2008 and 2009, the Club for Growth opposed the $787 billion stimulus bill, Cash for Clunkers, cap and trade legislation, the Wall Street bailout, the auto bailout, the Affordable Care Act and the bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.