Grover G . Norquist, a native of Massachusetts, has been one of most effective issues management strategists in Washington for over two decades.
Mr. Norquist is president of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), a taxpayer advocacy group he founded in 1985 at President Reagan’s request. ATR is a coalition of taxpayer groups, individuals and businesses opposed to higher taxes at the federal, state and local levels. ATR organizes the TAXPAYER PROTECTION PLEDGE, which asks all candidates for federal and state office to commit themselves in writing to oppose all tax increases. In the 112th Congress, 236 House members and 41 Senators have taken the pledge. On the state level, 13 governors and 1249 state legislators have taken the pledge.
Norquist chairs the Washington, DC - based “Wednesday Meeting,” a weekly gathering of more than 150 elected officials, political activists, and movement leaders. The meeting started in 1993 and takes place in ATR's conference room. There are now 61 similar "center-right" meetings in 47 states.
Mr. Norquist also:
- Serves on the board of directors of the National Rifle Association of America.
- Serves on the board of directors of the American Conservative Union.
- Serves on the board of directors of The Nixon Center
- Serves as a Contributing Editor to the American Spectator Magazine.
- Serves as president of the American Society of Competitiveness.
- Authored two books Rock the House and Leave Us Alone – Getting the Government’s Hands Off Our Money, Our Guns, Our Lives
In the past, Mr. Norquist served as:
- A commissioner on the Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce.
- A commissioner on the National Commission on Restructuring the Internal Revenue Service.
- Economist and chief speech-writer, U.S. Chamber of Commerce (1983-1984.)
- Campaign staff on the 1988, 1992, 1996 Republican Platform Committees.
- Executive director of the National Taxpayers’ Union.
- Executive director of the College Republicans.
In the words of Newt Gingrich, Grover Norquist is “the person who I regard as the most innovative, creative, courageous and entrepreneurial leader of the anti-tax efforts and of conservative grassroots activism in America . . . He has truly made a difference and truly changed American history.”
P.J. O’Rourke says, “Grover Norquist is Tom Paine crossed with Lee Atwater plus just a soupcon of Madame Defarge.”
Senator Mitch McConnell says, "It’s because of soldiers like Grover that the conservative movement is so vibrant today and that the liberals who thought they had taken over two years ago are on the run."
“No one in modern times has fought harder to shrink the state than the founder of the group Americans for Tax Reform.” -- John Stossel, March 24, 2011 during Fox Business Network’s Stossel
Arianna Huffington calls Norquist “The dark wizard of the Right's anti-tax cult"
Mr. Norquist holds a Masters of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, both from Harvard University. He lives in Washington, DC with his wife, Samah and his daughters, Grace.and Giselle.
