My point of view: Read the Project 2025 document yourself to see the true nature
Published on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, 20:45
My Point of View by Brad Kramer
Recent criticism of Project 2025, particularly from liberal media and local political groups, has been alarmist and misleading. Some have even gone so far as to create dramatic depictions, such as a mannequin holding a “Handmaid’s Tale” sign, to stoke fears about the plan. To get a clearer picture, I decided to examine the document myself. It is available online at: https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf, and although it is 922 pages long, my review of the 200 or so pages shows that much of the criticism is humorously exaggerated.
Brad Kramer
Project 2025 is a comprehensive plan developed by a conservative think tank and is divided into five sections: Taking the Reins of Government, The Common Defense, The General Welfare, The Economy, and Independent Regulators. Each section contains detailed recommendations for different government departments. For example, the chapter on the Department of Housing and Urban Development was written by Dr. Ben Carson, MD.
After printing out and reading about 200 pages of the document, I can only respond to all the criticism that has been leveled at it with one thing: laugh! The utter drama with which the left is throwing around dystopian messages that Project 2025 will take away women’s rights and send us back to single-class schools is a complete farce!
As a conservative, I found everything I read reassuring and consistent with my values. I printed out the chapters on the departments I am most familiar with and the departments such as Health and Human Services, Housing, Education and others that would most impact my day-to-day life, as well as the Department of Defense, which plays a critical role in our national security. As far as I can tell, there is nothing cryptic or strange in this document. Nothing that would relegate women to second-class citizens. Anyone who says otherwise has not read the document itself.
Most chapters spend a lot of time explaining the structure of the department, its responsibilities, successes or weaknesses, whether and how it has been politicized, and there are further explanations of the department that put the recommendations in context. I have to say that this explanation from the executive branch of the federal government was very interesting. It explains all the cabinet positions and how they affect us as well as I’ve ever seen. It also explains how Trump’s policies have affected the department compared to Biden’s (Biden’s policies are terrible… spoiler alert).
In the “General Welfare” section, they outlined a path to abolishing the Department of Education and returning that authority to the state and local levels. The U.S. Department of Education does very little to educate children and is more focused on politicizing education, imposing ever stricter regulations, and pandering to teachers’ unions.
Remember that Democrats constantly call conservatives fascists, and remember that the definition of fascism is that it “elevates the nation and often race over the individual, and advocates a centralized autocratic government with a dictatorial leader, strict economic and social regimentation, and violent repression of opposition.” There are numerous themes in Project 2025 that aim to return power to local and state officials. This is the opposite of fascism.
In the chapter on health and social services, the author sets out five objectives:
1. Protection of life, conscience and physical integrity
2. Strengthening patient choice and provider autonomy
3. Promoting stable and prosperous married families
4. Preparing for the next health emergency
5. Create more transparency, accountability and control
Objective 1, in several places in the document, suggests the intention to limit funding or public resources related to abortion, but not to ban abortion. It refers actual legality back to the decision of states and explicitly states: “Treatment of miscarriage or standard treatment of ectopic pregnancy should never be confused with abortion.”
It advocates banning funding for Planned Parenthood and abortion trips. It also aims to prioritize funding for in-home child care, education and resources for parents, doulas for maternity care, and more.
Project 2025 targets bureaucracy, red tape, and waste. For example, it highlights several ways in which the pharmaceutical industry currently inappropriately funds CDC and NIH, creating millions of dollars in conflicts of interest. Rather than eliminating social programs like SNAP, WIC, and TANF across the Department of Agriculture and Health, it highlights ways to improve the performance of these departments while reducing waste and red tape.
In summary, Project 2025 is not the threat that some make it out to be. It is a strategic plan designed to improve government operations and address current inefficiencies. I encourage you to read the document yourself to understand its true character and the thoughtful recommendations it contains. We in the Republican Party want a strong and prosperous America, where the American Dream is alive and well, and where all Americans live in a safe and prosperous nation.
Brad Kramer is a member of the Freeborn County GOP party.
