Sunday, November 3, 2024

PROJECT 2025 BROKEN OUT BY TOPIC

 

WHAT IS PROJECT 2025?

(Numbers in brackets are references to page numbers in the Project 2025 document itself. )

1.      What is Project 2025:  Embodied in a 900-page document entitled “Mandate for Leadership – The Conservative Promise,” developed in collaboration with more than 100 right wing organizations, Project 2025 is a blueprint for how the right wing hopes to remake / reinvision federal government PLUS an actual roadmap and action plan for how to do it.

 

a.      What’s under attack, in general:

                                                  i.      Independence of the civil service

                                                 ii.      Rulemaking / policy ability  of federal agencies

                                               iii.      The tradition of ensuring continuity of governance of the basic functions of government  no matter what party is in political office

                                               iv.      Specific programs and (in general) the scope and work of the federal agencies, to further the Republican agenda of stripping government of power

 

b.      More detail about this agenda, from Page xiv:  "Our goal is to assemble an army of aligned, vetted, trained, and prepared conservatives to go to work on Day One to deconstruct the Administrative State."

                                                  i.      The term "Administrative State" has become a scornful description used to stigmatize workers who perform duties for the administrative agencies of the federal government. The functions being attacked include things like: national defense; law enforcement; protection of public health and the environment; the postal service; public works; all forms of public transportation, including rail and air travel; educational policy.

                                                 ii.      Project 2025 seeks to upend the checks and balances that have been developed over a long period of time to ensure continuity between elected political administrations and also to ensure the political neutrality of the administrative side of civil service. 

                                               iii.      It specifically seeks to remove thousands of career civil service employees with political appointees who will serve the agenda of the current chief executive (President) and whose loyalty is to the current political administration rather than to the Constitution of the United States.  

                                               iv.      Project 2025 envisions measures far beyond personnel changes, however.  It advocates measures that, if enacted, would have a dramatic impact on our democracy and on our freedoms.

 

AREAS OF PROJECT 2025 BROKEN DOWN BY SPECIFIC TOPIC

2.      Democracy 

 

a.      Project 2025 would concentrate power in the executive branch by advocating for expanding presidential power over agencies, including independent agencies, and for making it easier to fire career civil servants. This could concentrate power in the executive branch and make it harder for Congress and the courts to check presidential power. [43] [825]

b.      Project 2025 would weaken independent agencies like the Federal Reserve and the FCC and propose to bring them under political control. This would impair the agencies' ability to act impartially and make decisions based on expertise rather than political pressure. [731] [845]

c.      Project 2025 would make it easier for the President to fire government workers who are not political appointees. This would give the President more power over the people who work for the government and make it harder for them to do their jobs without worrying about being fired for political reasons. [80]

d.      Project 2025 would allow religious organizations to discriminate against people they don't agree with. This would violate the rights of people who are discriminated against. [586]

e.      Project 2025 would allow the government to use taxpayer money to support religious organizations.  [261] [481]

f.        Project 2025 would advance the agenda of the “right wing,” including by selectively enforcing laws and prioritizing funding for certain groups. This could undermine the principle of impartial government and create a two-tiered system of justice. [545]

g.       Overall, Project 2025 seeks to dismantle and disempower virtually all government agencies.  While often inefficient and bureaucratic, these agencies are also a key mechanism for implementing laws passed by Congress and protecting the public interest. Weakening these agencies could lead to less accountability and weaker enforcement of laws, particularly in areas like environmental protection, consumer safety, and worker rights. [6]

 

3.      Civil Rights:  On the topic of civil rights, Project 2025 is overtly hostile to anything related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

 

a.      US Justice Department Civil Rights Division:

                                                              i.       As an example of its hostility to civil rights, Project 2025  proposes to reverse the Division’s mission. Rather than prosecute public and private entities which discriminate against people of color and women, the Justice Department Civil Rights Division would be compelled to utilize “the full force of federal prosecutorial resources” against employers that promote diversity in their workforce. The express premise is that any policy promoting diversity in the workforce necessarily constitutes “affirmative discrimination” against white people.

                                                             ii.      Where does it say this?  At pages 561-562, it states:  “Even though numerous federal laws prohibit discrimination based on notable immutable characteristics such as race and sex, the Biden Administration— through the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division and other federal entities— has enshrined affirmative discrimination in all aspects of its operations under the guise of ‘equity.’ Federal agencies and their components have established so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices that have become the vehicles for this unlawful discrimination, and all departments and agencies have created ‘equity’ plans to carry out these invidious schemes. To reverse this trend, the next conservative Administration should:    Reorganize and refocus the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division to serve as the vanguard for this return to lawfulness. The Attorney General and other DOJ political leadership should provide the resources and moral support needed for these efforts. The Civil Rights Division should spend its first year under the next Administration using the full force of federal prosecutorial resources to investigate and prosecute all state and local governments, institutions of higher education, corporations, and any other private employers who are engaged in discrimination in violation of constitutional and legal requirements.”

 

b.       Project 2025 promotes "school choice" and suggests phasing out federal funding for public education. Allowing taxpayer money to fund private schools and charter schools (which do not have a mandate of accepting and educating every student regardless of ability) would intensify existing inequalities in educational opportunities.  This would remove important funding from public schools and would also reduce access to quality education for marginalized communities such as students who have disabilities or who are economically disadvantaged. [5] [319] [351]

c.       Project 2025 allows colleges to discriminate against students based on their race and sex. This would mean that some students would be treated unfairly when applying to college, limiting opportunities for marginalized groups. [352]

d.      Project 2025 advocates the use of public, taxpayer money for private religious schools. This would blur the line between government and religion, enable discrimination in admissions, hiring and curriculum based on religious beliefs, potentially infringing on the religious freedom of students and families, and reduce funding for and undermine public education. [351]

e.      Project 2025 advocates restrictions on the application of the Supreme Court’s Bostock v. Clayton County decision, by revoking workplace protections against sex discrimination that were extended to LGBTQ+ employees.  This enables discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. [584]

f.        Project 2025 advocates rescission of regulations prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, and sex characteristics. This means that the government will no longer try to protect citizens who do not conform to Project 2025's notion of "normal,” potentially leading to discrimination in various sectors like healthcare, housing, and employment. [584]

g.        Project 2025 calls for elimination of the terms sexual orientation and gender identity, diversity, equity, and inclusion, gender, gender equality, gender equity, gender awareness, gender-sensitive, abortion, reproductive health, and reproductive rights among others out of every federal rule, agency regulation, contract, grant, regulation, and piece of legislation that exists. This means that these identities, concepts and topics will be "erased" in education, healthcare and cultural institutions and no longer protected or supported by the government. This could severely limit the rights and representation of marginalized groups. [4]

h.        Project 2025 advocates allowing religious organizations to discriminate against people they don't agree with. [586]

i.         Project 2025  promotes allowing the government to use taxpayer money to support religious organizations. [261] [481]

j.        Project 2025 advances the Christian Nationalist agenda, including by selectively enforcing laws and prioritizing funding for certain groups. This could undermine the principle of impartial government and create a two-tiered system of justice, disproportionately affecting marginalized groups. [545]

k.       Project 2025's focus on border security and immigration enforcement could lead to increased racial profiling and discrimination against Latinos, immigrants and other people of color who are legally in the USA. [135] [140]

l.        Project 2025 promotes policies that favor values and institutions promoted by right-wing religious groups associated with “Christian Nationalism.” This will marginalize other religious groups (including not just other religions but also other Christian groups) and undermine the separation of church and state. [4] [560] [581] [589]

m.    Project 2025 promotes policies that reinforce traditional gender roles. This will limit opportunities for women and LGBTQ+ individuals. [451] [481]

n.       Project 2025 uses language saying that it supports "traditional family values," that being a code word for right wing policy agenda to delegitimize non-traditional families. This framing often underlies arguments against abortion and comprehensive sex education, suggesting a push to limit reproductive choices and remove women’s bodily autonomy. [451] [489]

 

4.      Climate

a.       Project 2025 claims the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) “a colossal operation that has become one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry and, as such, is harmful to future U.S. prosperity.” Project 2025 therefore wants to disband NOAA and transfer collection and dissemination of information to private industry (notably weather reporting channels).  [675]

b.      Project 2025 promotes expansion of coal, oil, and natural gas. This would increase greenhouse gas emissions and exacerbate climate change, which could lead to more extreme weather like hurricanes and floods and other negative environmental impacts. [365]

c.      Project 2025 proposes weakening the Endangered Species Act. This could make it harder to protect species threatened by climate change and could lead to biodiversity loss. [533]

d.      Project 2025 prioritize economics growth over environmental protection. This could lead to policies that favor short-term economic gains over long-term environmental sustainability and could undermine efforts to address climate change. [418]

e.      Project 2025 opposes "climate-smart" agricultural practices and withdraws all grants researching climate friendly agricultural policies. This would mean that the U.S. would not support efforts to reduce agriculture's contribution to climate change, potentially leading to increased greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector. [293]

f.        Project 2025 reduces the role of the federal government in addressing climate change. This could lead to a lack of coordinated federal action on climate change and could shift responsibility to states and the private sector, which may not have the resources or incentives to take effective action. [61]

g.       Project 2025  shifts environmental policymaking to states and localities, even though commerce is national and international. This could result in a patchwork of regulations, with some states taking stronger action than others, and could undermine efforts to address climate change on a national level. [420]

h.      Project 2025  restructures the U.S. Global Change Research Program. This could lead to the downplaying of climate risks in policy decisions and weaken the scientific basis for climate action. [59]

i.        Project 2025 would have the US withdraw from international agreements like the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. This means the U.S. would no longer participate in global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and could face international criticism and isolation. [709]

j.        Project 2025  ends funding for "climate reparations." This would mean that the U.S. would no longer provide financial assistance to developing countries to help them address the impacts of climate change, potentially exacerbating global inequalities and hindering international cooperation on climate action. [389]

k.       Project 2025 promotes the end of SCC (Social Cost of Carbon) analysis - a dollar estimate of the economic damage caused by emitting one additional ton of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This means that the government will no longer consider the costs of climate change. [61]

l.        Project 2025 proposes elimination of government organizations that work on climate related issues, such as clean energy, pollution reduction, and other initiatives to combat climate change. Specific groups it proposes to eliminate include the Clean Energy Corps, the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, and ARPA-E. These groups work on clean energy, pollution reduction, and other initiatives to combat climate change. [369]

m.     Project 2025 promotes ending the government's focus on climate change and green subsidies. This would lead to an acceleration in climate change and its associated risks like extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and ecosystem disruption. [378]

n.      Project 2025 proposes elimination of energy efficiency standards for appliances. This would lead to increased energy consumption, higher energy bills for consumers, reduced innovation in appliance technology, and a negative impact on the climate. [378]

 

5.      Drug Prices

a.      Project 2025 proposes the repeal of the Inflation Reduction Act’s drug price negotiation program in Medicare. This would allow drug companies to charge higher prices for drugs, which would make it more expensive for people to buy them. [465]

b.      Project 2025 reduces the government share in the catastrophic tier of Medicare Part D and require manufacturers to bear a larger share. This would make it more expensive for seniors to buy drugs when they reach the catastrophic coverage limit. [465]

 

 

 

6.      Education

a.      Project 2025 proposes elimination of the Department of Education, putting all educational policy and funding into the hands of state and local governments. This would mean that states would have to pay for all of their schools, which could result in less money for schools in poorer states and rural areas. It also deprives parents, teachers, and schools of the resources from the US Department of Education including guidance and guidelines for best practices in education. [319]

b.      Project 2025 eliminates funding for special ed and transfers that to Dept of Health and Human Services to be administered to states through no-strings attached block grants to be used for any purpose the state wishes. [326]

c.      Project 2025 prioritizes parents’ rights over the right of every child to a “free and appropriate public education.”  From page 5: “In our schools, the question of parental authority over their children’s education is a simple one: Schools serve parents, not the other way around. That is, of course, the best argument for universal school choice—a goal all conservatives and conservative Presidents must pursue. But even before we achieve that long-term goal, parents’ rights as their children’s primary educators should be non-negotiable in American schools. States, cities and counties, school boards, union bosses, principals, and teachers who disagree should be immediately cut off from federal funds.”  Parents surely have a strong interest in the education their children are receiving. They always have and they always should. However, this proposal must be viewed against the backdrop of recent efforts to remove professional oversight of education and to instead empower individual parents to veto teaching from or about books they do not like and course components with which they disagree. Such a veto power invites a chaotic free-for-all in which choices made by one parent seriously and adversely affect the freedom other parents have to make a different choice. Elected school boards and administrators have maintained a robust educational system for decades and can continue to ensure that all parental voices be heard in the process of choosing a curriculum and other aspects of a public education.

d.      Project 2025 proposes elimination of Title I, which provides extra federal funding for schools in impoverished areas, transfer funding to Health and Human Services block grants which could be used however states want. [325]

e.      Project 2025 promotes “school choice" and suggests phasing out federal funding for public education. This could exacerbate existing inequalities in educational opportunities and lead to a decline in the quality of public schools. [5] [319] [351]

f.         School Lunches: Project 2025 reduces the free school lunch program. This would mean that many children may not have enough to eat while at school. [303]

g.       Head Start: Project 2025 calls for complete elimination of the Head Start program. This would mean that many children from poor families would not have access to preschool. [482]

h.      Financial Aid: Project 2025 makes it harder for students to get financial aid for college. This would mean that fewer students from poor families would be able to go to college. [327]

i.        Discrimination: Project 2025 would allow colleges to discriminate against students based on their race and sex. [352]

j.         Religious Education: Project 2025 allows diversion of public, taxpayer money to private religious schools. This would blur the line between government and religion, enable discrimination in admissions, hiring and curriculum based on religious beliefs, and reduce funding for and undermine public education. [351]

k.       Project 2025 specifically prevents the CDC from advising that school children should be masked or vaccinated, saying such decisions should be left to parents and medical providers. This could lead to increased disease outbreaks and a resurgence of preventable diseases like measles and whooping cough. [454]

l.        Project 2025 wades deep into “culture wars” by proposing elimination of any education about things like “critical race theory.”   [5], [52], [88], [103], [279], [322], [336], [342], [344], [348], [496], [565], [582], [583], [708]

 

7.      Environment

a.      Project 2025 proposes to reduce the size and scope of the EPA and eliminate or weaken various environmental regulations. This means that companies will be able to pollute more, which will make the air and water dirtier and could make people sick. [420]

b.      Project 2025 proposes to downsize National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to privatize weather reporting and eliminate research. [676]

c.      Project 2025 proposes to prioritize industry over the environment by promoting economic growth and energy production over environmental protection. This could lead to a prioritization of short-term economic gains over long-term environmental sustainability. [13] [521]

d.      Project 2025 proposes to allow more pollution from cars and trucks. [628]

e.      Environmental Impact Studies:   Project 2025 proposes to make it easier to build roads and oil pipelines in places where animals live. [61] [533]

f.        Project 2025 proposes to make it easier to cut down trees in national forests. [308]

g.        Project 2025 proposes to let companies drill for more oil and gas on public lands. [521]

h.      Project 2025 proposes to weaken rules that protect endangered animals. [534]

i.        Project 2025 proposes to stop the government from studying climate change. [61]

 

8.      Agriculture

a.      Project 2025 attempts to eliminate farm subsidies like the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) program and the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program. This means that farmers will no longer get money from the government to help them when prices for the crops they grow go down or when they do not harvest as much as they expected. [296]

b.      Project 2025 proposes to stop paying farmers twice for price and revenue losses during the same year. This means that farmers will get less money from the government to help them when prices for the crops they grow go down or when they do not harvest as much as they expected. [297]

c.       Project 2025 proposes to reduce how much the government pays to help farmers buy crop insurance. This means that farmers will have to pay more to buy crop insurance to protect themselves against bad weather or low prices. [297]

d.       Project 2025 proposes to eliminate the Conservation Reserve Program. This means that farmers will no longer get paid to not farm some of their land. [304]

e.      Project 2025 proposes to repeal the federal sugar program. This means that sugar farmers will no longer be protected from competition from foreign sugar growers. [296]

f.         Project 2025 proposes to oppose "climate-smart" agricultural practices. This would mean that the U.S. would not support efforts to reduce agriculture's contribution to climate change, potentially leading to increased greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector. [293]

g.       Project 2025 proposes to capping and then phasing down the H-2A visa program: This could lead to higher labor costs for farmers, which would make it more difficult for some farmers to stay in business, especially those who operate on thin margins. This could also lead to labor shortages, reduced food production, and higher food prices for consumers. [611]

 

9.      Federal Law Enforcement

a.      After the abuses of J. Edgar Hoover came to light, federal law was amended to prevent the Director of the FBI from serving for more than ten years.  This proposal is intended to eliminate the FBI Director’s ten-year maximum term of office that was enacted following the 1972 death of J. Edgar Hoover and the revelations that preceded his passing. Equally important, the proposal would take the FBI out of the Department of Justice where, under the supervision and control of law-enforcement professionals, it currently serves as the Department’s principal investigative office. Worse, it would place the FBI under the direct control of a political office-holder with all of the potential for political machinations that would bring, and, in light of the suggestion that the change await the next ‘conservative Administration,’ perhaps is intended to bring.

b.      Project 2025 proposes to make Director of FBI directly accountable to the President:  The actual words from Project 2025 with reference to this point are:  (Page 552) Page 552): “The Director of the FBI must remain politically accountable to the President in the same manner as the head of any other federal department or agency. To ensure prompt political accountability and to rein in perceived or actual abuses, the next conservative Administration should seek a legislative change to align the FBI Director’s position with those of all other major departments and agencies.”

10.  Food Assistance:  major cuts to SNAP and additional red tape for applicants

 

a.       SNAP: Project 2025 proposes cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This means that many people who need help buying food would no longer get money from the government to buy food. [298]

b.      Project 2025 proposes to require states to implement work requirements for SNAP recipients. This means that people who are able to work would have to get a job or do some type of work in order to get food stamps. [299]

c.       Project 2025 proposes to eliminate broad-based categorical eligibility. This would make it harder for people to get food stamps because they would have to meet more requirements to be eligible. [300]

d.      Project 2025 proposes to eliminate the heat-and-eat loophole. This would make it harder for people to get the full amount of food stamps they are eligible for. [301]

e.      Project 2025 proposes to reform the Thrifty Food Plan. This could lead to people getting less money in food stamps because the government would change how it calculates the amount of money people need to buy food. [300]

f.         Project 2025 proposes to eliminate CEP. This would mean that some children who currently get free school meals would have to pay for them. [303]

 

11.  Freedom of Speech

a.      Enable use of military against protesters (not verified, denied by Heritage Foundation but purportedly Executive Orders pre-drafted for President to sign include use of Insurrection Act to enable President to call up military to quell protests.) Further, Donald Trump has promoted this in his speeches.

b.      Project 2025 proposes to limit online platforms' ability to moderate content. This will lead to a proliferation of hate speech and misinformation. [849]

c.       Project 2025 proposes to remove protections for online platforms from being held legally responsible for user-generated content on their sites. This will cause these online platforms to either shut down or implement strict moderation and censorship. [847]

d.      Project 2025 proposes to eliminate the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's (CISA) involvement in countering misinformation and disinformation. This means that the government will abandon its role as "the arbiter of truth" and the American people will be more exposed to lies and manipulation. [155]

e.      Project 2025 proposes to prohibit the FBI from engaging in activities related to combating the spread of misinformation and disinformation by Americans. This means that the government will abandon it's role as "the arbiter of truth" and the American people will be more exposed to lies and manipulation. [550]

f.         Project 2025 proposes to ban pornography, imprison the people who produce and distribute it, shut down the telecom and tech firms that facilitate its spread, and register as sex offenders any educators and public librarians who purvey it. This sounds great, except there’s no definition of what is “pornography.”  Some extremists (as just one example) advocate labeling any reference to LGBT as “pornography.”  Overly broad categories threaten to curtail freedom of speech, create a chilling effect on artists, writers and filmmakers, enable disproportionate punishment for non-violent offenses, stifle innovation, lead to job losses and economic disruption, and lead to censorship and moral policing. [5]

 

12.  Gun Rights:  representations have been made that Project 2025 includes this, but I have not found it. 

 

13.  Health Care

a.      Project 2025 proposes to promote a free market for Health Care:  reform U.S. healthcare into a free market mostly regulated by states. This means patients will need to develop more healthcare expertise, rural areas may be underserved, low-income and vulnerable populations may be underserved, sicker patients may pay more, the system may be ill-equipped to handle public health emergencies, and it could lead to an overall decline in quality and safety standards. [450]

b.       Project 2025 proposes to cut the Affordable Care Act. This could lead to loss of coverage, reduced consumer protections and an increased financial burden for Americans. [469]

c.       Project 2025 proposes to Reduce Funding for Public Health by splitting the CDC and reducing its funding. This could weaken the nation's ability to respond to public health emergencies and address critical health issues. [452]

d.      Project 2025 proposes to prevent the CDC from advising that school children should be masked or vaccinated, saying such decisions should be left to parents and medical providers. This could lead to increased disease outbreaks and a resurgence of preventable diseases like measles and whooping cough. [454]

e.      Project 2025 proposes to tax employers on workplace benefits that exceed $12,000 per worker annually. This would lead to employers cutting back on these benefits and workers paying more taxes, and would be damaging for millions of families who rely on one working adult's employer-provided health insurance to cover dependents, such as children. [697]

f.        If this tax was enacted, it is estimated that just based on health insurance benefits in 2022 alone: (1) More than 15 million workers would see their benefits taxed. (2) Their taxes would rise by more than $12 billion if employers shifted away from benefits to other forms of taxable compensation. https://epiaction.org/2024/08/14/the-little-known-project-2025-tax-on-employee-benefits/

g.       See Medicaid

h.      See Medicare

 

14.  LGBTQIA+

a.       Project 2025 proposes to gut protections for the LGBTQ+ community, including eliminating the Gender Policy Council. This means that the government will no longer try to protect people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer. [62]

b.       Project 2025 proposes to stop workplace oversight: restrict the application of the Supreme Court’s Bostock v. Clayton County decision. This will restrict workplace protections against sex discrimination that were extended to LGBTQ+ employees. [584]

c.       Project 2025 proposes to rescind regulations prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, and sex characteristics. This means that the government will no longer try to protect citizens who do not conform to Project 2025's notion of "normal". [584]

d.      Project 2025 proposes to  eliminate the terms sexual orientation and gender identity, diversity, equity, and inclusion, gender, gender equality, gender equity, gender awareness, gender-sensitive, abortion, reproductive health, and reproductive rights among others out of every federal rule, agency regulation, contract, grant, regulation, and piece of legislation that exists. This means that these identities, concepts and topics will be "erased" in education, healthcare and cultural institutions and no longer protected or supported by government. [4]

e.      Military: Project 2025 proposes to reverse policies that allow transgender individuals to serve in the military. [104]

f.        Medicaid / Medicare: Project 2025 proposes to restrict transgender health care in Medicare and Medicaid [474]

g.       Project 2025 proposes to deny transgender health care or abortion access to service members using public funds. [104]

h.       Project 2025 proposes to end anti-discrimination rules based on gender identity and sexual orientation. This will significantly weaken anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ individuals in healthcare settings. [495]

i.        Project 2025 proposes to expand religious exemptions that will allow businesses and organizations to discriminate against LGBTQ+ individuals based on religious beliefs. This will limiting access to services and opportunities for LGBTQ+ individuals. [586]

j.        Project 2025 proposes to restrict adoption and foster care by supporting faith-based adoption agencies that may discriminate against LGBTQ+ couples. This will limit their ability to adopt or foster children. [477]

k.       Project 2025 proposals will embolden Anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment and create a more hostile environment for LGBTQ+ individuals. This could lead to increased harassment, violence, and discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations. [451]

 

15.  Low-income families

a.      Project 2025 proposes to eliminate food stamps for people who do not have a job or are not looking for a job. This means that people who are out of work and do not have enough money to buy food will not be able to get help from the government. [299] (Not everyone who is out of work is employable or can get a job.)

b.      Project 2025 proposes to reduce access to public housing through major program changes including elimination of housing for families that include a non-US citizen, placing time limits on public housing, and forcing recipients of public housing to participate in the workforce. [503 et seq]

c.      Project 2025 proposals will make it harder for people to get affordable health care. See Healthcare, Medicaid, Medicare

d.      Project 2025 proposals will make it harder for underprivileged people and those who have been discriminated against to get a good education. [482] [327]

e.      See Taxes

 

16.  Medicaid

a.      Project 2025 proposes to shrink the scope and scale of Medicaid. This could result in millions of Americans losing access to affordable healthcare, potentially leading to a decline in overall health outcomes. [466]

b.       Project 2025 proposes to make it easier for states to kick people off Medicaid. This means that people could lose their health care if they don't follow all the rules. [467]

c.       Project 2025 proposes to let states make people work to get Medicaid. This means that people who can't find a job could lose their health care. [468]

d.       Project 2025 proposes to let states charge people more for Medicaid. This means that people will have to pay more for their health care. [468]

e.      Project 2025 proposes to let states put time limits on how long people can be on Medicaid. This means that people could lose their health care after a certain amount of time, even if they still need it. [468]

f.         Project 2025 proposes to make it harder for people to get on Medicaid if they have some money saved up. This means that people who have saved some money might not be able to get health care from the government. [467]

g.        Project 2025 proposes to allow states to charge premiums and co-pays to people who receive Medicaid. This means that many people who are currently eligible for Medicaid would have to pay for some of their health care costs. [468]

h.      Project 2025 proposes to allow states to eliminate certain benefits from Medicaid. [468]

i.        Project 2025 proposes to allow states to use Medicaid funds to provide private health insurance. [468]

j.         Project 2025 proposes to cap Medicaid payments to states without regard for their actual spending needs on health and long-term care. This could force states to outright deny coverage of particular benefits, especially costly services such as long-term care. [466]

 

17.  Medicare

a.      Under Project 2025, Medicare Advantage plans (privatization of Medicare) would become the default option.

b.      Medicare Advantage plans can require prior authorizations, making it harder for patients to access care, and they can restrict enrollees' choices of physicians, hospitals, and treatments. [465]

c.      Project 2025 proposes to repeal the drug price negotiation program in Medicare. This program lowers the cost of prescription drugs, and getting rid of it will likely mean that prescription drugs will cost more. [465]

d.      Project 2025 proposes to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act. This law lowers the cost of prescription drugs for people on Medicare, and getting rid of it will likely mean that prescription drugs will cost more. [465]

e.      Project 2025 proposes to eliminate the Medicare Shared Savings Program. This program helps to lower the cost of Medicare, and getting rid of it will likely mean that Medicare will cost more. [465]

f.        Project 2025 proposes to reduce the government share in the catastrophic tier of Medicare Part D. This means that people on Medicare will have to pay more for their prescription drugs. [465]

g.       Project 2025 proposes to restructure 340B drug subsidies toward beneficiaries rather than hospitals. This program helps hospitals provide lower-cost drugs to low-income patients, and changing it could mean that those patients will have to pay more for their medications. [465]

 

18.  Overtime

a.      Project 2025 proposes to raise the overtime pay threshold. This means that fewer people will qualify for overtime pay. [592]

b.      Project 2025 proposes to allow employers and workers to agree that overtime will be calculated over two weeks or four weeks instead of one week. This means that if you work a lot of extra hours one week, but then work fewer hours the next week, your boss might not have to pay you overtime if the total number of hours you worked over the two weeks or four weeks is less than 80. [592]

c.      Project 2025 proposes to change the rules about overtime pay for people who work from home. This means that if you work from home, your boss might not have to pay you overtime unless you work more than 10 hours in a day. [589]

d.      Project 2025 proposes to make it easier for businesses to classify workers as independent contractors. This means that if you are classified as an independent contractor, you will not be eligible for overtime pay. [591]

e.      Project 2025 proposes to allow businesses to not pay overtime for certain benefits they provide to workers, such as help paying for school or childcare. [592]

f.         Project 2025 proposes to weaken unions, including potentially eliminating public sector unions altogether. Unions are often instrumental in negotiating and protecting overtime pay provisions in collective bargaining agreements. [599] [82]

 

19.  Public Transportation

a.      Project 2025 proposes to reduce the federal government's role in funding public transportation. This means that there will be less money to build and run buses, trains, and subways. [636]

b.      Project 2025 proposes to eliminate the Capital Investment Grants program. This program provides money for new public transportation projects, so eliminating it would mean that there would be less money for new projects. [635]

c.       Project 2025 proposes to allow transit agencies to reduce worker pay and benefits. [635]

d.      Project 2025 proposes to stop using money from the Highway Trust Fund for public transportation. This would mean that there would be less money for public transportation. [636]

e.      Project 2025 proposes to require new public transportation projects to meet strict economic standards that would make it harder to get funding for new projects, especially in areas that are not already well-served by public transportation. [635]

f.         Project 2025 proposes to allow states to use federal transportation money for any purpose they want. This means that states could choose to spend the money on things other than public transportation, such as roads or bridges. [621]

 

20.  Reproductive Rights

a.      From Page 6: “[C]onservatives should gratefully celebrate the greatest pro-family win in a generation: overturning Roe v. Wade, a decision that for five decades made a mockery of our Constitution and facilitated the deaths of tens of millions of unborn children. But the Dobbs decision is just the beginning. Conservatives in the states and in Washington, including in the next conservative Administration, should push as hard as possible to protect the unborn in every jurisdiction in America. In particular, the next conservative President should work with Congress to enact the most robust protections for the unborn that Congress will support while deploying existing federal powers to protect innocent life and vigorously complying with statutory bans on the federal funding of abortion. Conservatives should ardently pursue these pro-life and pro-family policies while recognizing the many women who find themselves in immensely difficult and often tragic situations and the heroism of every choice to become a mother. Alternative options to abortion, especially adoption, should receive federal and state support.”

b.      Project 2025’s proposal for a universal ban on abortion would not only take the family-planning decision away from women and places it in the hands of the state but would similarly control other reproductive health decisions.

c.      Project 2025 promotes using the Comstock Act (Page 459) to “Stop promoting or approving mail-order abortions in violation of long-standing federal laws that prohibit the mailing and interstate carriage of abortion drugs.” 

d.      Comstock’s law purports to prohibit mailing anything that could be used in an abortion – even ordinary surgical supplies such as gloves and sutures. For more than 100 years, however, the courts and the Justice Department have consistently ruled that the law does not apply to mailing items for a lawful purpose.

e.      Project 2025 would reverse this understanding and prosecute people if they mailed FDA-approved abortion medicines, even to states where abortion is legal. This would effectively institute a national abortion ban, depriving women of their rights under state law. It also raises the specter of a President resurrecting and reinterpreting other laws to destroy freedoms.

f.         Project 2025 proposes to eliminate the requirement that health insurance plans cover birth control. This means that women may have to pay more for birth control. [483]

g.        Project 2025 proposes to eliminate coverage for male contraceptives such as condoms. This means that men may have to pay more for birth control. [485]

h.       Project 2025 proposals would make it harder for women to get birth control through Title X family planning clinics. This means some women might have fewer choices for where to get birth control. [491]

i.         Project 2025 proposes to allow states to require Title X family planning clinics to provide information about the importance of marriage. This means that some women may feel pressured to get married in order to receive family planning services, including contraception. [480]

j.         Project 2025 proposes to allow religious employers to refuse to provide contraception coverage to their employees. This means that some women may have to pay out of pocket for contraception if their employer objects to it on religious grounds. [483]

k.       Project 2025 proposes to eliminate the week-after-pill from the contraceptive mandate as a potential abortifacient. This would make it harder for women to get emergency contraception, which can help prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. [485]

l.         Project 2025 proposes to increase medical requirements to get abortion pills, even in states where abortion is legal. [458]

m.     Project 2025 proposes to stop promoting or approving mail-order abortions. This would make it harder for women to get abortion pills, even in states where abortion is legal. [459]

n.       Project 2025 proposes to reverse its approval of chemical abortion drugs. This would make it much harder for women to get abortions, especially in states where abortion is illegal. [458]

o.       Project 2025 proposes to prohibit abortion travel funding. This would make it harder for women to get abortions, especially those who live in states where abortion is illegal. [471]

p.       Project 2025 proposes to prohibit Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid funds. This would make it harder for women to get affordable health care, including cancer screenings and contraception. [471]

q.       Project 2025 proposes to withdraw Medicaid funds for states that require abortion insurance or that discriminate in violation of the Weldon Amendment. This would punish states that try to protect women's access to abortion care. [472]

r.         Project 2025 proposes to rewrite the ACA abortion separate payment regulation. This would make it harder for women to get insurance coverage for abortion care. [473]

s.        Project 2025 proposes to audit Hyde Amendment compliance. This could lead to cuts in funding for programs that provide health care to low-income women, including those that provide abortion care. [473]

t.         Project 2025 proposes to promote "fetal personhood" from the moment of conception. This would mean abortion would no longer be considered healthcare, women presenting with miscarriages could become subject to criminal investigation, and IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) becomes illegal because it involves destruction of unused embryos. [450]

u.       Project 2025 proposes to reverse guidance that enables hospitals receiving Medicare funds to perform emergency abortions. This would enable hospitals in pro-life states to refuse to perform abortions, even when it is necessary to save a woman's life. [473]

v.        Project 2025 proposes to collect data on abortion, including requiring states to report detailed information about abortion procedures and patients. This could be used to stigmatize abortion and create a chilling effect on providers, further limiting access to care. [455]

 

21.  Rural Issues

a.      Project 2025 proposes to abolish the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This would make it harder for people to get life-saving forecasts and information about hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, heat waves, and other extreme weather events [674]

b.       Project 2025 proposes to raise the FEMA threshold for public assistance and end Small Business Administration (SBA) direct lending such as disaster loans, which help businesses and homeowners recover from declared disasters. This would leave communities with fewer resources to rebuild after disasters like catastrophic hurricanes and tornadoes. [153] [750] [754]

c.       Project 2025 proposes to erode public education and eliminate the Department of Education. Project 2025 suggests phasing out federal funding for public education. This would mean that states would have to pay for all of their schools, which could result in less money for schools in poorer or less populated areas. [5] [319] [351]

d.      Project 2025 proposes to significantly restrict the free school lunch program. This would mean that many children may not have enough to eat at school. Some children who currently get free school meals would have to pay for them. [303]

e.       Project 2025 proposes to eliminate the Head Start program. This would mean that many children from low-income families would not have access to preschool. [482]

f.         Project 2025 proposes to re-evaluate regulation for baby formula. This could lead to unsafe baby formula. [302]

g.        Project 2025 proposes to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds PBS and NPR. This would remove a vital source of educational and cultural programming, especially in rural and underserved communities where commercial options are limited. [246]

h.       Project 2025 proposes to eliminate federal rules that protect children from working in mines, meatpacking plants and other dangerous workplaces. This could lead to exploitation, interference with education, normalization of child labor, and an increased risk of injury or death for children. [595]

i.         Project 2025 proposes to make it harder for students to get financial aid for college. This would mean that fewer students from low-income families would be able to go to college. [327]

j.        Project 2025 proposes to attempt to eliminate farm subsidies like the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) program and the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program. This means that farmers will no longer get money from the government to help them when prices for the crops they grow go down or when they do not harvest as much as they expected. [296]

k.        Project 2025 proposes to reduce how much the government pays to help farmers buy crop insurance. This means that farmers will have to pay more to buy crop insurance to protect themselves against bad weather or low prices. [297]

l.         Project 2025 proposes capping and then phasing down the H-2A visa program: This could lead to higher labor costs for farmers, which would make it more difficult for some farmers to stay in business, especially those who operate on thin margins. This could also lead to labor shortages, reduced food production, and higher food prices for consumers. [611]

m.    Project 2025 proposes cuts and work requirements to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This means that many people who need help buying food would no longer get money from the government to buy food. [298] [299]

n.       Project 2025 proposes to shrink the scope and scale of Medicaid. This could result in millions of Americans losing access to affordable healthcare, potentially leading to a decline in overall health outcomes. [466]

o.       Project 2025 proposes to let states make people work to get Medicaid. This means that people who can't find a job could lose their health care. [468]

p.       Project 2025 proposes to allow states to charge premiums and co-pays to people who receive Medicaid. This means that many people who are currently eligible for Medicaid would have to pay for some of their health care costs. [468]

q.      Project 2025 proposes to repeal the drug price negotiation program in Medicare. This program lowers the cost of prescription drugs, and getting rid of it will likely mean that prescription drugs will cost more. [465]

r.         Project 2025 proposes to eliminate the Medicare Shared Savings Program. This program helps to lower the cost of Medicare, and getting rid of it will likely mean that Medicare will cost more. [465]

s.        Project 2025 proposes to push more of the 33 million people enrolled in Original Medicare towards Medicare Advantage by making it the "default enrollment option". Medicare Advantage plans can require prior authorizations, making it harder for patients to access care, and they can restrict enrollees' choices of physicians and hospitals. [465]

t.         Project 2025 proposes to turn the U.S. healthcare into a free market mostly regulated by states. Healthcare services would then be provided by companies whose whole goal is to make a profit off you. This means patients will need to develop more healthcare expertise, rural areas may be underserved, low-income and vulnerable populations may be underserved, sicker patients may pay more, the system may be ill-equipped to handle public health emergencies, and it could lead to an overall decline in quality and safety standards. [450]

u.       Project 2025 proposes to eliminate the requirement that health insurance plans cover birth control and male contraceptives such as condoms. [483] [485]

v.        Project 2025 proposes to make it harder for women to get birth control through Title X family planning clinics. [491]

w.      Project 2025 would prohibit Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid funds. This would make it harder for women to get affordable health care, including cancer screenings and contraception. [471]

x.        Project 2025 promotes "fetal personhood" from the moment of conception. This results in prioritization of fetal health as against maternal health when there is a conflict, and it eliminates access to IVF (In Vitro Fertilization). [450]

y.       Project 2025 proposes to reverse guidance that enables hospitals receiving Medicare funds to perform emergency abortions. This would enable hospitals in pro-life states to refuse to perform abortions, even when it is necessary to save a woman's life. [473]

z.        Project 2025 proposes to tax employers on workplace benefits that exceed $12,000 per worker annually. This would lead to employers cutting back on these benefits and workers paying more taxes, and would be damaging for millions of families who rely on one working adult's employer-provided health insurance to cover dependents, such as children. [697]

 

aa.  If this tax was enacted, we estimate that just based on health insurance benefits in 2022 alone: (1) More than 15 million workers would have seen their benefits taxed. (2) Their taxes would have risen by more than $12 billion if employers shifted away from benefits to other forms of taxable compensation. Link: https://epiaction.org/2024/08/14/the-little-known-project-2025-tax-on-employee-benefits/

 

bb.  Project 2025 proposes to move from the current 7 income tax brackets ranging from 10%-37% to a two bracket system with flat rates of 15% and 30% (with 30% starting around the Social Security wage base of $168,100) and eliminate most deductions, credits and exclusions. Millions of low- and middle-class households would likely face significantly higher taxes. [696]

 

cc.  From https://www.cbsnews.com/news/project-2025-tax-trump-economy-heritage-foundation-how-it-works/ : “He estimated that a middle-class family with two children and an annual income of $100,000 would pay $2,600 in additional federal income tax if they faced a 15% flat tax on their income due to the loss of the 10% and 12% tax brackets. If the Child Tax Credit were also eliminated, they would pay an additional $6,600 compared with today's tax system,” Duke said.

 

dd.  By comparison, a married couple with two children and earnings of $5 million a year would enjoy a $325,000 tax cut, he estimated.

 

ee.  "That 15% bracket is a very big deal in terms of raising taxes on middle-class families," Duke said. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/project-2025-tax-trump-economy-heritage-foundation-how-it-works/

 

ff.      Project 2025 proposes a consumption tax, such as a national sales tax. This means that everything you buy will have an additional tax on it. [698]

gg.    Project 2025 raises the overtime pay threshold. This means that fewer people will qualify for overtime pay. [592]

hh.   Project 2025 proposes to let bosses decide if workers are employees or contractors. This means that bosses could call workers contractors even if they are really employees, which would mean they don't have to give them benefits like health insurance and paid time off. [591]

ii.        Project 2025 makes it harder for workers to form unions. [602]

jj.        Project 2025 proposes to allow states to opt out of federal labor laws. This means that states could pass laws that allow employers not to comply with federal laws that protect workers. [605]

kk.    Project 2025 proposes to reduce the size and scope of the EPA and eliminate or weaken various environmental regulations. This means that companies will be able to pollute more, which will make the air and water dirtier and could make people sick. [420]

ll.       Project 2025 proposes to allow more pollution from cars and trucks. This means that the air will be dirtier, which could make it harder for people to breathe and could cause more people to get sick. [628]

mm.                      Project 2025 proposes to make it easier to build roads, build pipelines, log national forests, and drill for oil and gas on public lands. This could destroy rural lands and wildlife habitats, and create more pollution [61] [308] [521] [533]

nn.  Project 2025 proposes to subject military promotions to White House review. This would apply subjective, ill-defined criteria to promotions, erode meritocracy in the military, weaken military effectiveness, and politicize the U.S. military. [52]

oo.   Project 2025 proposes to eliminate the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection (OAWP). This means it will be harder for veterans to report problems at the VA. [653]

pp.   Project 2025 proposes to eliminate many of the health conditions that qualify veterans for disability benefits: Project 2025 additionally criticizes the 1991 Agent Orange Act and the 2022 PACT Act, which aid veterans exposed to toxic substances. This will greatly restrict disabled veteran's access to life-sustaining benefits. [643] [649]

qq.   Project 2025 proposes to make it easier for the President to fire government workers who are not political appointees. This would give the President more power over the people who work for the government and make it harder for them to do their jobs without worrying about being fired for political reasons. [80]

rr.     Project 2025 proposes to privatize a number of government services. This subjects our services to companies whose whole goal is to make a profit off you. This has not worked out well in the past, and there is no reason to believe that it will in the future. [83]

22.  Social Security:  The Project 2025 document does not cover this topic. But here are relevant resources: The Project 2025 document does not cover this topic. But here are relevant resources:

23.  House Republican budget calls for raising the retirement age for Social Security

24.  NBC News

25.  The House Republican Study Committee Budget Proposes Harsh Changes to Social Security

26.  The Center for American Progress

27.  Days After Trump Calls for Social Security Cuts, Congressional Republicans Release Plan to Slash Benefits by $1.5 Trillion

28.  Social Security Works

29.  House Republican Budget Plans Would Cut Social Security Benefits

30.  House Committee on the Budget

31.  The Heritage Foundation is gunning for your Social Security

32.  Media Matters for America

33.  Social Security Administration funding cuts a disservice to Americans

34.  The Hill

a.      House Republican budget calls for raising the retirement age for Social Security: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/republican-budget-raise-age-retirement-social-security-medicare-rcna144341

 

b.      The House Republican Study Committee Budget Proposes Harsh Changes to Social Security:  https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-house-republican-study-committee-budget-proposes-harsh-changes-to-social-security/

 

c.      Days After Trump Calls for Social Security Cuts, Congressional Republicans Release Plan to Slash Benefits by $1.5 Trillion:  https://socialsecurityworks.org/2024/03/20/days-after-trump-calls-for-social-security-cuts-congressional-republicans-release-plan-to-slash-benefits-by-1-5-trillion/

 

d.      House Republican Budget Plans Would Cut Social Security Benefits:  https://democrats-budget.house.gov/house-republican-budget-plans-cut-social-security-benefits

 

e.      The Heritage Foundation is gunning for your Social Security:  https://www.mediamatters.org/heritage-foundation/heritage-foundation-gunning-your-social-security

 

f.        Social Security Administration funding cuts a disservice to Americans:  https://thehill.com/opinion/4794442-republican-cuts-social-security/

 

g.        

 

35.  Taxes

a.      Project 2025 would  introduce a two bracket system with flat rates of 15% and 30% (with 30% starting around the Social Security wage base of $168,100) and eliminate most deductions, credits and exclusions. Millions of low- and middle-class households would likely face significantly higher taxes. [696]

 

b.      From the source CBS News  https://www.cbsnews.com/news/project-2025-tax-trump-economy-heritage-foundation-how-it-works/

 

                                                              i.      He estimated that a middle-class family with two children and an annual income of $100,000 would pay $2,600 in additional federal income tax if they faced a 15% flat tax on their income due to the loss of the 10% and 12% tax brackets. If the Child Tax Credit were also eliminated, they would pay an additional $6,600 compared with today's tax system, Duke said.

                                                             ii.      By comparison, a married couple with two children and earnings of $5 million a year would enjoy a $325,000 tax cut, he estimated.

                                                           iii.      "That 15% bracket is a very big deal in terms of raising taxes on middle-class families," Duke said.

 

c.      Project 2025 proposes to  reduce the corporate tax rate even further to 18%. Donald Trump's 2017 tax law cut the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, which meant companies paid $240 billion less in taxes from 2018 to 2021 than they would have paid. This further reduction would lead to even higher corporate profits and even lower government revenue to pay for services for the American people, while also increasing the deficit. [696]

d.      Project 2025 proposes to   reduce the capital gains rate from 20% to 15%. This would disproportionately benefit the wealthy and lead to a loss of government revenue. [696]

e.       Project 2025 proposes a consumption tax, such as a national sales tax. This means that everything you buy will have an additional tax on it. [698]

f.        Project 2025 proposes to   tax employers on workplace benefits that exceed $12,000 per worker annually.

                                                              i.      This would lead to employers cutting back on these benefits and workers paying more taxes, and would be damaging for millions of families who rely on one working adult's employer-provided health insurance to cover dependents, such as children. [697].

                                                             ii.      If this tax were enacted, we estimate that just based on health insurance benefits in 2022 alone: (1) More than 15 million workers would have seen their benefits taxed. (2) Their taxes would have risen by more than $12 billion if employers shifted away from benefits to other forms of taxable compensation.  Link:  https://epiaction.org/2024/08/14/the-little-known-project-2025-tax-on-employee-benefits/

 

36.  Unions

a.       Project 2025 proposes to  require worker centers to file financial disclosures with the government. This could make it harder for worker centers to organize and advocate for workers. [601]

b.      Project 2025 proposes to   rescind the persuader rule. This means that employers will be able to hire consultants to discourage workers from forming a union without having to tell the government about it. [602]

c.      Project 2025 proposes to   let bosses decide if workers are employees or contractors. This means that bosses could call workers contractors even if they are really employees, which would mean they don't have to give them benefits like health insurance and paid time off. [591]

d.      Project 2025 proposes to   make it harder for workers to form unions. This means that it will be harder for workers to join together to form a union and fight for better pay and working conditions. [602]

e.       Project 2025 proposes to  allow states to opt out of federal labor laws. This means that states could pass laws that make it harder for workers to form a union or make unions weaker. [605]

f.        Project 2025 proposes to   get rid of unions for security workers in the government. This means that security workers in the government, like TSA agents, will no longer have a union to protect them. [159]

g.        Project 2025 proposes to  strengthen "management rights" and narrow the scope of issues that are subject to collective bargaining for public sector unions. This could mean less union influence over working conditions, scheduling, and other workplace matters. [81]

h.      Project 2025 proposes to   narrow the definition of activities that are protected from employer retaliation under the National Labor Relations Act. This could make it riskier for workers to engage in union organizing or other collective action. [601]

i.        Project 2025 proposes to   eliminate the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which incentivizes a career in public service. This would reduce the incentive to go into public service, exacerbate student debt burden for public service workers, reduce diversity and representation in public service and lead to a "brain drain" from the public sector. [332]

 

37.  Veterans:

a.       Project 2025 proposes to  eliminate the Department of Homeland Security and distribute its functions to other departments: This could negatively affect veterans by making it harder for the government to coordinate services for veterans, such as those related to immigration, naturalization, and border protection. Many veterans rely on DHS for support in these areas. [133]

b.       Project 2025 proposes to  eliminate the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection (OAWP). This means it will be harder for veterans to report problems at the VA. [653]

c.       Many veterans rely on FHA loans to buy their first homes. Project 2025 proposes to restrict eligibility for first-time homebuyers by changing the Federal Housing Administration's statutory restriction of single-family housing mortgage insurance to first-time homebuyers. This could negatively affect veterans by making it harder for them to buy homes. [510]

d.      Project 2025 proposes to eliminate many of the health conditions that qualify veterans for disability benefits: Project 2025 additionally criticizes the 1991 Agent Orange Act and the 2022 PACT Act, which aid veterans exposed to toxic substances. This will greatly restrict disabled veteran's access to life-sustaining benefits. [643] [649]

e.      Project 2025 puts at risk the jobs of the nearly 637,000 veterans working for the federal government by making it easier to fire federal employees, disbanding agencies like the Department of Education and Department of Homeland Security and privatizing the TSA: This will jeopardize the livelihoods of veterans and undermine the effectiveness of the government. [80] [133] [319]

 

38.  Voting Rights:  Project 2025 does not address voting rights, but here are some sources to learn the Republican position: 

a.      Wikipedia entry on Republican efforts to restrict voting rights since 2020: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_efforts_to_restrict_voting_following_the_2020_presidential_election

b.      Article “We're defending the accessibility, integrity, and competitiveness of American elections”  https://accountability.gop/rvr/

c.      Article: “Under the Radar, Right-Wing Push to Tighten Voting Laws Persists” https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/08/us/politics/voting-laws-restrictions-republicans.html

d.      Dark money groups push election denialism on US state officials: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/05/heritage-foundation-election-voting-rights-republican-states?mibextid=Zxz2cZ

e.      Column: Why are Republicans making it harder for some people to vote? It’s not just partisanship https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-05-26/voter-suppression-race-youth-election-2024-donald-trump-georgia-supreme-court-robin-abcarian

 

39.  Other Proposals

a.      abolish the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Because the authors believe that it "has become one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry", even though the NOAA provides life-saving information about hurricanes, heat waves, and other extreme weather events, which are worsening. [674]

b.       privatize a number of government services. This subjects our services to companies whose whole goal is to make a profit off you. This has not worked out well in the past, and there is no reason to believe that it will in the future. [83]

c.       politicize science. This could hinder scientific progress and innovation. [460] [674]

d.      Reduce regulations for baby formula. [302]

e.       repeal the USDA Dietary Guidelines which focus on human health as well as the health of the planet. This could lead to dietary choices that lead to disease for humans and climate change for the planet. [309]

f.         promote policies that favor values and institutions of select Christian sects. This will marginalize other religious groups and undermine the separation of church and state. [4] [560] [581] [589]

g.        promote policies that reinforce traditional gender roles. This will limit opportunities for women and LGBTQ+ individuals. [451] [481]

h.       emphasize "traditional family values" and the importance of marriage and nuclear families. This framing often underlies arguments against abortion and comprehensive sex education, suggesting a push to limit reproductive choices and control women's bodies. [451] [489]

i.         oppose sex education and advocate for abstinence-only approaches. This would restrict access to accurate information about contraception, sexually transmitted infections, and healthy relationships, potentially leading to higher rates of unintended pregnancies and STIs. [477]

j.         defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds PBS and NPR. This would remove a vital source of educational and cultural programming, especially in rural and underserved communities where commercial options are limited. [246]

k.        subject military promotions to White House review. This would apply subjective, ill-defined criteria to promotions, erode meritocracy in the military, weaken military effectiveness, and politicize the U.S. military. [52]

l.         eliminate federal rules that protect children from working in mines, meatpacking plants and other dangerous workplaces. This could lead to exploitation, interference with education, normalization of child labor, and an increased risk of injury or death for children. [595]

m.     eliminate the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which incentivizes a career in public service. This would reduce the incentive to go into public service, exacerbate student debt burden for public service workers, reduce diversity and representation in public service and lead to a "brain drain" from the public sector. [332]

n.       reject the notion of universal day care in favor of incentivizing "home-based" childcare solutions. This would make affordable child care harder to get and disproportionately hurt low-income, working families. [486]

o.       raise the FEMA threshold for public assistance and end Small Business Administration (SBA) direct lending such as disaster loans, which help businesses and homeowners recover from declared disasters. This would leave communities with fewer resources to rebuild after disasters like catastrophic hurricanes and tornadoes. [153] [750] [754]

p.       lead to an increase in racial profiling and discrimination. Project 2025's focus on border security and immigration enforcement could lead to increased racial profiling and discrimination against Latinos, immigrants and other people of color. [135] [140]

SOURCES

A really good one, with links: https://www.25and.me/?topics=

In depth, undercover video with key players discussing their agenda:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQjdwsZhE_Q

Easy, schoolhouse rock style video you can share with your friends:  https://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/project-2025-explained-in-schoolhouse-rock-style/

Snopes discusses what’s in it:  https://www.snopes.com/news/2024/07/11/project-2025-explained/

Podcast episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6CazgPSsupCsSllpWs5hcx

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/republican-budget-raise-age-retirement-social-security-medicare-rcna144341

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/08/us/politics/voting-laws-restrictions-republicans.html

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/05/heritage-foundation-election-voting-rights-republican-states?mibextid=Zxz2cZ

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-05-26/voter-suppression-race-youth-election-2024-donald-trump-georgia-supreme-court-robin-abcarian

https://epiaction.org/2024/08/14/the-little-known-project-2025-tax-on-employee-benefits/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/project-2025-tax-trump-economy-heritage-foundation-how-it-works/