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By Staff Writer
Project 2025 is a plan created by conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation. With over 900 pages, Project 2025 could impact democracy in five key areas important to our communities: education, healthcare, climate justice, criminal justice and faith.
Education
The plan suggests shutting down the Department of Education, which has been around since 1867. The idea is to remove rules and regulations so families can choose different types of schools and learning environments more freely.
Healthcare
Project 2025 aims to reduce the federal government’s role in healthcare. This could mean major cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, which help millions of people with medical expenses. It could also affect agencies that research diseases and approve new medicines and medical devices.
Criminal Justice
The plan would reverse police reforms implemented after George Floyd’s murder, stop federal oversight of police departments accused of racial discrimination and enforce harsher sentencing rules. It also suggests closely controlling federal prosecutors.
Faith
The project wants to repeal same-sex marriage laws, eliminate healthcare programs for LGBTQ+ citizens and severely limit access to abortion pills. It doesn’t ban abortion outright but makes it much harder to get one. Churches would retain a tax-exempt status even if they discriminate based on race or get involved in politics. The plan also suggests reinstating a ban on Muslims immigrating to the U.S.
Climate Justice
Project 2025 recommends cutting regulations and reducing government efforts related to the environment. It proposes breaking up the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies that deal with climate change. The plan also calls for more oil and gas drilling on public lands and cutting funding for renewable energy like wind and solar power.
Most Dangerous Aspects
Military Use: advises the president to use military forces for law enforcement in the U.S. and to target political opponents.
Immigration: recommends arresting and deporting undocumented immigrants.
Death Penalty: promotes more use of the death penalty and quicker executions.
Abortion and Contraception: wants the government to reject abortion as healthcare and limit access to birth control.
Discrimination: proposes removing protections against discrimination based on sexual or gender identity, and ending diversity programs and affirmative action.
Education: suggests abolishing the Department of Education and transferring its duties to other agencies or ending them.
Justice Department: proposes cutting funds for the Department of Justice and dismantling the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.
Environmental Regulations: wants to reduce environmental rules to favor fossil fuel production and end the independence of federal agencies like the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission .
Project 2025 could potentially be the beginning of the end of democracy and, at the very least, make significant changes to various aspects of American life with a focus on reducing federal control and promoting conservative values.
For more information, you can read the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 and analyses from trusted sources, including Inside Higher Ed and The Hill.