FREEDOMWORKS 08/25/2015

1. John Koskinen: The Case for Impeachment - by Logan Albright
Key members of the House Freedom Caucus are demanding that IRS Commissioner John Koskinen be removed from office. In an op-ed written for the Wall Street Journal, Reps. Jim Jordan and Ron DeSantis told President Obama that if the Commissioner is not removed, they will begin the proceedings to impeach him.
Modern Americans view impeachment with a sort of awe and reverence. To most, it seems like an inconceivably drastic thing to do. But it was not always this way, nor was it the intention of the founders. Impeachment has always been a practical tool for getting rid of bad actors in government and, given the amount of government corruption we see today, a tool that should be used with much greater frequency. Read more here...

2. Impeach IRS Commissioner John Koskinen 

3. FreedomWorks Announces Over 60 Local Partners for 9.12 Grassroots Summit - by Iris Somberg
Over 60 local conservative groups from Florida and the surrounding states are partnering with FreedomWorks to host the 9/12 Grassroots Summit. The summit in Orlando, Florida on September 12, 2015 for grassroots activists to engage with conservative leaders and members of the House Freedom Caucus, who are some of the most principled conservatives leading the charge for change in Washington.
Confirmed speakers include event host Andrew Wilkow, Glenn Beck, FreedomWorks Senior Economic Contributor Steve Moore, and Member of the House Freedom Caucus to include Reps. Ron DeSantis, John Fleming, Mark Meadows, and Ted Yoho. Read more here...
4. FreedomWorks Hosts Statewide Tea Party and Liberty Group Meeting in North Carolina - by Kathy Hartkopf
On Saturday, August 22, tea party and liberty group leaders from across North Carolina joined FreedomWorks for fellowship and information. The packed room included over 40 activists from the far regions of the state. Outer Banks Tea Party Chairwoman, Mattie Lawson drove five hours to be with us! Activists shared information about their organizations and the important work they are doing. I was happy to share information about the FreedomWorks upcoming 9-12 Activist Summit to be held in Kissimmee, Florida and information about the important issues FreedomWorks is currently working on.
I gave both a state legislative and federal issue update. Activist were especially interested in our Empower work and in our work in Criminal Justice reform. I was delighted to be able to introduce Clarence Henderson, a recent FreedomWorks Activist of the Month. Clarence is one of our Empower Panelists and is a civil rights leader who participated in the Greensboro Woolworth Lunch Counter Sit-In. Clarence received a round of applause for his amazing activism! Read more here...
5. Federalism in Action: How Conservative States Got Smart on Crime - by Jason Pye
Justice reform has become a hot topic on Capitol Hill. Members of Congress from both parties are pushing for substantive reforms that would bring rehabilitative programs to the federal corrections system, modify out-of-date sentencing laws, make communities safer, and reduce burdens on taxpayers. But reform would not be possible if conservative states had not previously paved the road.
Writing in 1932, Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandies explained one of the core tenets of the United States' constitutional system. "It is one of the happy incidents of the federal system that a single courageous state may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory," he wrote, "and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country." This principle, which we know as "federalism," allows states to test the waters on certain ideas and policies and, perhaps, provide a framework that could be replicated by other states. Read more here...
6. FreedomWorks at Stokes Tea - by Kathy Hartkopf

Stokes Tea met in King, NC on Thursday, August 20. Allen Page and I were delighted to be able to join them! Members gathered at Lil Italy Pizza for an evening of fellowship and information. Stokes Tea leader, Ramona Timm led the meeting. I spoke to the group about Justice Reform. There was a rousing discussion and a number of interesting questions.
Activists were especially interested in and concerned about civil asset forfeiture and the enormous amounts of money that North Carolina gains from participation in the Equitable Sharing Program. They were also especially interested in our work on ending mandatory minimum sentencing for non-violent offenders. Activists were pleased that FreedomWorks is committed to working in the important area of Criminal Justice Reform! Read more here...

Iris Somberg

Press Secretary, FreedomWorks