--- title: A New Conservative Manifesto Is Born description: Conservative Republicans gathered privately outside of Washington Thursday to fight back against an attack from the GOP establishment. The group agreed on a nine-page manifesto outlining “constitutional conservative” principles including lower taxes and a stronger military canonical: https://time.com/103242/a-new-conservative-manifesto-is-born/ author: Zeke Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-05-16T19:39:55.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:47:50.549Z article:section: Politics og:title: A New Conservative Manifesto Is Born og:description: Conservative Republicans gathered privately outside of Washington Thursday to fight back against an attack from the GOP establishment. The group agreed on a nine-page manifesto outlining “constitutional conservative” principles including lower taxes and a stronger military og:url: https://time.com/103242/a-new-conservative-manifesto-is-born/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3adc897fd5b5421f/69868ff0810bbb5fddc91a46/ted-cruz-conservative-manifesto.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Ted Cruz og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: A New Conservative Manifesto Is Born twitter:description: Conservative Republicans gathered privately outside of Washington Thursday to fight back against an attack from the GOP establishment. The group agreed on a nine-page manifesto outlining “constitutional conservative” principles including lower taxes and a stronger military twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3adc897fd5b5421f/69868ff0810bbb5fddc91a46/ted-cruz-conservative-manifesto.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # A New Conservative Manifesto Is Born > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. 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Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller May 16, 2014 7:39 PM UTC  Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas addresses a crowd during a rally at the Western Republican Leadership Conference on April 25, 2014, in Sandy, Utah. Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas addresses a crowd during a rally at the Western Republican Leadership Conference on April 25, 2014, in Sandy, Utah. Rick Bowmer—AP by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller May 16, 2014 7:39 PM UTC Conservative Republicans gathered privately outside of Washington Thursday to plot their response to an [all-out assault](http://time.com/92083/the-empire-strikes-back/) from the party’s establishment. [As reported by](http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/conservatives-seek-to-regain-control-of-republican-agenda/2014/05/15/aaa20c80-dc6e-11e3-bda1-9b46b2066796%5Fstory.html?wpmk=MK0000203) the Washington _Post’s_ Robert Costa, the gathering at the Ritz Carlton in Tysons Corner, Va. was organized by former Attorney General Edwin Meese III and former Rep. David McIntosh under the auspices of the Conservative Action Project. Attendees included a who’s-who of the conservative movement, from Sen. Ted Cruz to the Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins. Attendees agreed on a nine-page document outlining the “constitutional conservative” principles for which they believe the Republican Party needs to stand, including lower taxes, a stronger military and opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage. “A Constitutional conservatism unites all conservatives through the natural fusion provided by American principles,” the document states. “It reminds economic conservatives that morality is essential to limited government, social conservatives that unlimited government is a threat to moral self-government, and national security conservatives that energetic but responsible government is the key to America’s safety and leadership role in the world.” The document, developed off a similar declaration adopted before the 2010 tea party wave, calls for congressional rules requiring balanced budgets, passing legislation to end bank subsidies and “permanent bank bailouts,” and for cutting taxes and regulations. Other proposals include repealing and replacing Obamacare, enhancing protections for those who oppose same-sex marriage, ending “efforts to stop public prayer” and shutting down the Export-Import Bank. The meeting and manifesto come as establishment-backed Republicans have gone on to win contested primaries against more conservative opponents across the country, helped by investments from groups like the Chamber of Commerce and American Crossroads. The business wing of the party believes that flawed and overly conservative candidates cost the party seats in Congress in 2012 and 2010. Conservatives hope that the document will serve as a guide for the party going into this fall’s midterm elections and the 2016 presidential race. 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