Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), a leading conservative voice in the Senate, will resign his seat in January to become the next president of the conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation, a sudden move with far-reaching implications.
“It’s been an honor to serve the people of South Carolina in the United States Senate for the past eight years, but now it’s time for me to pass the torch to someone else and take on a new role in the fight for America’s future,” DeMint said in a statement Thursday morning.
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“I’m leaving the Senate now, but I’m not leaving the fight,” he continued. “I’ve decided to join The Heritage Foundation at a time when the conservative movement needs strong leadership in the battle of ideas. No organization is better equipped to lead this fight and I believe my experience in public office as well as in the private sector as a business owner will help Heritage become even more effective in the years to come.”
DeMint’s departure comes during a critical moment for the conservative movement and leaves uncertainty among its ranks in the Senate. After the tea party movement left a deep impact on the 2010 midterm elections, its influence faded in 2012. Meanwhile, in Congress, the debate over the “fiscal cliff” is raging, with Democrats pressing Republicans to join them in supporting tax increases for the wealthy, a call which conservatives have decried.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the news of DeMint’s resignation. DeMint will succeed Ed Feulner, who has been president of the foundation since 1977. Feulner will depart in April.
“This is a crucial moment for America and for the conservative movement — and we are seizing it,” said Thomas A. Saunders, chairman of the Heritage Foundation’s board. “Ed Feulner has made Heritage not just a permanent institution on Capitol Hill, but the flagship organization of the entire conservative movement.”
First elected in 2004 and easily reelected in 2010, DeMint has led the conservative charge in the upper chamber, a role he has embraced and one which has often put him at odds with Republican leadership in the upper chamber.
Seen heading to his office near the Senate chamber Thursday morning, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) did not respond to questions about DeMint, keeping to his tradition of ignoring reporter questions while walking the halls.
But McConnell later released a statement thanking DeMint, “for his uncompromising service to South Carolina and our country in the United States Senate. Jim helped provide a powerful voice for conservative ideals in a town where those principles are too often hidden beneath business as usual.”
According to a Washington Post analysis of congressional wealth, DeMint is among the poorest members of Congress. His estimated wealth in 2010 was $40,501. He could stand to receive a significant bump in pay in his new position. Feulner’s total 2010 compensation package from Heritage was more than $1 million, tax records show.
Finances also may have been a factor in Heritage’s decision to bring on DeMint. The group’s financial model is built upon a foundation of direct mail to conservative activists, over whom DeMint exercises great influence.
“It’s been an honor to serve the people of South Carolina in the United States Senate for the past eight years, but now it’s time for me to pass the torch to someone else and take on a new role in the fight for America’s future,” DeMint said in a statement Thursday morning.
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Chris Cillizza THE FIX | The move provides a fascinating window into the conservative movement.
Glenn Kessler FACT CHECKER | President Obama says his cuts are the biggest in history. We check the records.
Chris Cillizza and Aaron Blake THE FIX | How the former Florida governor could fix what ails his party.
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“I’m leaving the Senate now, but I’m not leaving the fight,” he continued. “I’ve decided to join The Heritage Foundation at a time when the conservative movement needs strong leadership in the battle of ideas. No organization is better equipped to lead this fight and I believe my experience in public office as well as in the private sector as a business owner will help Heritage become even more effective in the years to come.”
DeMint’s departure comes during a critical moment for the conservative movement and leaves uncertainty among its ranks in the Senate. After the tea party movement left a deep impact on the 2010 midterm elections, its influence faded in 2012. Meanwhile, in Congress, the debate over the “fiscal cliff” is raging, with Democrats pressing Republicans to join them in supporting tax increases for the wealthy, a call which conservatives have decried.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the news of DeMint’s resignation. DeMint will succeed Ed Feulner, who has been president of the foundation since 1977. Feulner will depart in April.
“This is a crucial moment for America and for the conservative movement — and we are seizing it,” said Thomas A. Saunders, chairman of the Heritage Foundation’s board. “Ed Feulner has made Heritage not just a permanent institution on Capitol Hill, but the flagship organization of the entire conservative movement.”
First elected in 2004 and easily reelected in 2010, DeMint has led the conservative charge in the upper chamber, a role he has embraced and one which has often put him at odds with Republican leadership in the upper chamber.
Seen heading to his office near the Senate chamber Thursday morning, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) did not respond to questions about DeMint, keeping to his tradition of ignoring reporter questions while walking the halls.
But McConnell later released a statement thanking DeMint, “for his uncompromising service to South Carolina and our country in the United States Senate. Jim helped provide a powerful voice for conservative ideals in a town where those principles are too often hidden beneath business as usual.”
According to a Washington Post analysis of congressional wealth, DeMint is among the poorest members of Congress. His estimated wealth in 2010 was $40,501. He could stand to receive a significant bump in pay in his new position. Feulner’s total 2010 compensation package from Heritage was more than $1 million, tax records show.
Finances also may have been a factor in Heritage’s decision to bring on DeMint. The group’s financial model is built upon a foundation of direct mail to conservative activists, over whom DeMint exercises great influence.