# Advancing American Freedom

> Advancing American Freedom (AAF) is a conservative policy advocacy organization founded by former Vice President Mike Pence. AAF promotes and defends policies that elevate traditional American values, individual liberty, free enterprise, a strong national defense, and constitutional, limited government. Its scholars publish policy memos, file amicus briefs, and are available to the press for interviews, testimony, and analysis.

AAF organizes its work by issue area and by institute (the Plymouth Institute for Free Enterprise, the Edwin Meese III Institute for the Rule of Law, and the Institute for Statistical Policy Analysis). Experts are available for media interviews via press@advancingamericanfreedom.com.

## Issues
- [Election Integrity](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/issues-election-integrity): Protecting the security and integrity of American elections — voter rolls, ballot access, and the rule of law at the ballot box. (5 memos, 1 expert).
- [Constitutional Law & the Courts](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/issues-constitutional-law): Defending the Constitution, the separation of powers, and the confirmation of principled judges who apply the law as written. (13 memos, 5 experts).
- [Economy, Taxes & Spending](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/issues-economy-taxes): Pro-growth tax policy, restrained federal spending, and reforms that curb waste and protect taxpayers. (133 memos, 8 experts).
- [Trade & Tariffs](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/issues-trade): Free and fair trade that lowers costs for American families and strengthens American competitiveness. (23 memos, 4 experts).
- [Energy & Environment](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/issues-energy): American energy dominance, affordable power, and a rejection of costly top-down mandates. (19 memos, 4 experts).
- [Immigration & Border Security](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/issues-immigration): Securing the border, enforcing the law, and restoring integrity to the immigration system. (7 memos, 2 experts).
- [National Security & Foreign Policy](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/issues-national-security): A strong national defense and a foreign policy that puts American interests and allies first. (24 memos, 3 experts).
- [Life, Family & Religious Liberty](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/issues-life-family): Defending the sanctity of life, the family, and the first freedom — the free exercise of religion. (14 memos, 1 expert).
- [Free Speech & Big Tech](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/issues-free-speech): Protecting free expression online and off against censorship by government or Big Tech. (2 memos, 1 expert).

## Experts
- [Marc Wheat](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/marc-wheat): General Counsel, Legal.
- [Timothy Harper](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/timothy-harper): Director of Constitutional Studies, Legal.
- [Amy Swearer](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/amy-swearer): Senior Legal Fellow, Meese Institute.
- [Eugene Kontorovich](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/eugene-kontorovich): Senior Legal Fellow, Meese Institute.
- [Hans von Spakovsky](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/hans-von-spakovsky): Senior Legal Fellow, Meese Institute.
- [John Malcolm](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/john-malcolm): Vice President of the Edwin Meese III Institute for the Rule of Law, Meese Institute.
- [Paul Larkin](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/paul-larkin): Senior Legal Fellow, Meese Institute.
- [Tom Jipping](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/tom-jipping): Senior Legal Fellow, Meese Institute.
- [Andrew Hale](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/andrew-hale): Fellow, Plymouth Institute.
- [Austin Gae](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/austin-gae): Policy Analyst, Plymouth Institute.
- [David Burton](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/david-burton): Senior Research Fellow, Plymouth Institute.
- [Joel Griffith](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/joel-griffith): Senior Fellow, Plymouth Institute.
- [John Peluso](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/john-peluso): Policy Analyst, Plymouth Institute.
- [Preston Brashers](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/preston-brashers): Research Fellow, Plymouth Institute.
- [Rachel Greszler](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/rachel-greszler): Senior Research Fellow, Plymouth Institute.
- [Richard Stern](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/richard-stern): Vice President of the Plymouth Institute for Free Enterprise, Plymouth Institute.
- [Jace White](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/jace-white): Manager of Government Relations, Policy.
- [John Shelton](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/john-shelton): Vice President of Policy, Policy.
- [Paul Glader](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/paul-glader): Director of Leadership Programs, Policy.
- [Gadai Bulgac](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/gadai-bulgac): Policy Analyst, Statistical Policy.
- [Kat Miller](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/kat-miller): Policy Analyst, Statistical Policy.
- [Kevin Dayaratna, Ph.D.](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/kevin-dayaratna): Vice President of the Institute for Statistical Policy Analysis, Statistical Policy.
- [Philip Eigen](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/philip-eigen): Policy Analyst, Statistical Policy.
- [Zachary Cady, Ph.D.](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/about/zachary-cady): Senior Economist, Statistical Policy.

## Recent Policy Memos
- [Reducing Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in Reconciliation 3.0](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/reducing-waste-fraud-and-abuse-in-reconciliation-3-0): Congress can save taxpayers hundreds of billions in fraud and improper payments by applying the same scrutiny to spendin…
- [9 Things to Know About Social Security And The Trustees 2026 Report](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/9-things-to-know-about-social-security-and-the-trustees-2026-report): The Social Security Trustees 2026 Report shows that Social Security is running out of time and money. Insolvency is comi…
- [The National Voter Registration Act Mandates Public Access to Voter Registration Records and Preempts All State Laws to the Contrary](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/the-national-voter-registration-act-mandates-publicaccess-to-voter-registration-records-and-preempts-allstate-laws-to-the-contrary): The National Voter Registration Act mandates public access to voter registration records and preempts all state laws to …
- [Tariffs Tank Employment: Assessing One Year of Liberation Day Evidence](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/tariffs-tank-employment-assessing-one-year-of-liberation-day-evidence): One year after Liberation Day, tariff data shows significant employment declines across key American industries.
- [Calling Balls and Strikes on the 21st Century Road to Housing](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/calling-balls-and-strikes-on-the-21st-century-road-to-housing): The House and Senate versions of 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act take some positive steps to ease certain regulations, …
- [The Declaration and Judicial Independence](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/the-declaration-and-judicial-independence): The Declaration of Independence provides critical foundations for understanding judicial independence in the American sy…
- [AAF Jobs Report May 2026](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/aaf-jobs-report-may-2026): May payroll employment grew by 172,000 jobs while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.3 percent.
- [Election Integrity Provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/election-integrity-provisions-in-the-one-big-beautiful-bill): The OBBB included key election integrity provisions that strengthen the foundation of free and fair American elections.
- [Regulatory Reform in the One Big Beautiful Bill](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/regulatory-reform-in-the-one-big-beautiful-bill): The OBBB included important regulatory reform provisions to restore transparency and accountability to the federal admin…
- [SNAP Reforms in the One Big Beautiful Bill](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/snap-reforms-in-the-one-big-beautiful-bill): The OBBB reforms SNAP to ensure food assistance reaches those who truly need it while saving significant taxpayer dollar…
- [Medicaid Savings in the One Big Beautiful Bill](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/medicaid-savings-in-the-one-big-beautiful-bill): The One Big Beautiful Bill achieves substantial Medicaid savings by removing ineligible recipients and establishing work…
- [Yes, the One Big Beautiful Bill Saves Real Money](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/yes-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-saves-real-money): Despite Democratic criticism, the One Big Beautiful Bill achieves genuine and durable savings through Medicaid reforms a…
- [Standard Deduction Increase](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/standard-deduction-increase): The OBBB permanently increased the standard deduction, reducing the income tax burden on millions of American households…
- [Offshore Wind Tax Credit Elimination](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/offshore-wind-tax-credit-elimination): The OBBB eliminated the offshore wind investment tax credit, ending federal subsidies for expensive offshore wind energy…
- [Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit Phase-Out](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/advanced-manufacturing-production-credit-phase-out): The OBBB phased out the advanced manufacturing production credit, ending subsidies for solar panels and wind components.
- [Commercial EV Subsidy Phase-Out](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/commercial-ev-subsidy-phase-out): The OBBB phased out the new commercial clean vehicle credit, ending distortive subsidies for corporate EV fleet purchase…
- [Stock Buyback Tax Repeal](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/stock-buyback-tax-repeal): The OBBB repealed the Inflation Reduction Act's excise tax on stock buybacks, removing a damaging tax on corporate capit…
- [Corporate Book Minimum Tax Repeal](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/corporate-book-minimum-tax-repeal): The OBBB repealed the Inflation Reduction Act's corporate book minimum tax, removing a damaging levy on large American c…
- [Domestic Manufacturing Tax Rate](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/domestic-manufacturing-tax-rate): The OBBB reduced the corporate income tax rate for domestic manufacturing, incentivizing production in America and prote…
- [Opportunity Zones Extension](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/opportunity-zones-extension): The OBBB extended and expanded the opportunity zones program to direct private investment into low-income communities.
- [Medicaid Provider Tax Cap](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/medicaid-provider-tax-cap): The OBBB capped the Medicaid provider tax, preventing states from gaming the system to extract excessive federal matchin…
- [Medicaid Eligibility Verification](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/medicaid-eligibility-verification): The OBBB strengthened Medicaid eligibility verification to remove ineligible recipients and protect the program for thos…
- [Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit Repeal](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/energy-efficient-home-improvement-credit-repeal): The OBBB repealed the energy efficient home improvement credit, removing distortive subsidies for insulation and windows…
- [Residential Clean Energy Credit Repeal](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/residential-clean-energy-credit-repeal): The OBBB repealed the residential clean energy credit, ending government subsidies for home solar and energy improvement…
- [Electric Vehicle Tax Credit Repeal](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/electric-vehicle-tax-credit-repeal): The OBBB repealed the electric vehicle tax credit, ending the government subsidy that distorted the automobile market.
- [Senior Standard Deduction Enhancement](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/senior-standard-deduction-enhancement): The OBBB enhanced the standard deduction for seniors, providing significant additional tax relief to Americans 65 and ol…
- [No Tax on Car Loan Interest](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/no-tax-on-car-loan-interest): The OBBB exempted car loan interest from federal income taxes, making vehicle ownership more affordable for American fam…
- [SALT Deduction Changes](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/salt-deduction-changes): The OBBB modified the cap on the deduction for state and local taxes, providing relief to taxpayers in high-tax states.
- [Estate Tax Exemption Permanence](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/estate-tax-exemption-permanence): The OBBB made permanent the estate tax exemption at $15 million per person, protecting family farms and small businesses…
- [Individual Income Tax Rate Extension](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos/individual-income-tax-rate-extension): The OBBB made permanent the TCJA's lower individual income tax rates, preventing a massive tax increase on all American …
- [Full Policy Memo Library (227 memos)](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/memos): Searchable archive of all AAF policy memos.

## Key Pages
- [Our Experts](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/experts): Full directory of AAF scholars and fellows, filterable by institute.
- [Media](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/media): The Court is Adjourned podcast (hosted by Hans von Spakovsky), expert interviews, and video library.
- [Legal Filings & Amicus Briefs](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/our-legal-advocacy): AAF amicus briefs and legal filings.
- [Press / Newsroom](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/press): Press releases, statements, media resources, and press kit. Media contact: press@advancingamericanfreedom.com.
- [Policy](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/policy): Policy research and analysis.
- [Who We Are](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/who-we-are): AAF leadership, staff, and mission.

## Optional
- [Op-Eds](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/op-eds): Commentary and op-eds by AAF experts published in national outlets.
- [Privacy Policy](https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/privacy-policy)