Organization’s Objective
Anti-environmentalists in Congress have way too much influence over environmental policy, and their belief that there is no serious political price to pay for their actions seriously harms the environmental cause. Defenders Action Fund (DAF) has been formed to provide a more aggressive approach to environmental politics, and to defeat the environment’s biggest enemies or force them to change their ways. We engaged in electoral politics for the first time in 2005-2006 and led the campaign that defeated the environment’s number one enemy, the supposedly unbeatable chairman of the House Resources Committee, Richard Pombo (R, CA-11).
DAF targets anti-environmentalists - especially those on environmental congressional committees - by educating and mobilizing their constituents and working to defeat them at the polls. We support pro-environmentalists.
We have developed a "lean and mean" structure with low overhead that allows us to put a greater proportion of donations directly into aggressive advocacy and campaigning. We have one of the few “527” accounts still allowed to be active in federal elections. The fact that voters see us as a trusted messenger on both the environment and related issues like corruption enhances our effectiveness.
Although engaging in congressional campaigns for the first time in the last cycle, we assisted Democrats to take control of the House by helping to win 14 seats previously held by anti-environment Republicans. This besides defeating Pombo (whom even House Democrats said was unbeatable). Pombo had stymied all progress on conservation issues while pushing some of the most damaging legislation seen in decades, including an egregious assault on the Endangered Species Act. Starting more than a year out from the 2006 elections, we aggressively educated his voters who then surprised everyone but us by turning him out of office.
In the 2007-2008 cycle DAF plans to target 20 congressional races, to mount at least three comprehensive campaigns against those of the 20 who are our biggest enemies, and to follow a “swing state” strategy to help elect a pro-environment President. Besides electing pro-environment candidates, our goal is to further underscore the message we sent in 2006 that politicians who pursue an anti-environmental agenda will pay the ultimate political price.
