The moments following Sen. Jim DeMint's resignation announcement left many researching the "think tank" he was set to be presiding over in 2013.
DeMint will be the second leader of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative research and educational institution devoted to "free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense," according to the website.
Edwin J. Feulner, founder of the Heritage Foundation, will step down as president in April.
Neither Feulner's nor DeMint's resignation came as a surprise. Feulner told supporters in 2009 that he would be stepping down in April 2013, the Heritage blog states.
Fast Facts
Date Established: 1973
Membership: 275,000
Leaders: George Adams, David S. Addington. Also notable, Steve Forbes, president and CEO of Forbes, Inc., has been on the board of trustees for the Heritage Foundation since 2001.
Influence in Washington: Helped launch missile defense under President Ronald Reagan, welfare reform under President Clinton and Speaker Newt Gingrich, led the fight against Obamacare and has taken a lead in advancing the case for entitlement reform, according to the Heritage Foundation website.
Click the links below to see where the Heritage Foundation stands on several key issues:
- First Principles
- American Leadership
- Education
- Energy & Environment
- Enterprise & Free Markets
- Entitlements, Taxes & Spending
- Family & Religion
- Health Care
- Protect America
- Rule of Law
You can also see the 2011 financial report here.
