For several weeks now, the so-called “Project 2025” has been gaining prominence, a kind of presidential transition roadmap once Joe Biden leaves the White House. And although both the Democratic leader and Donald Trump himself have expressed their reservations about points of the project, outside the political arena, workers, immigrants and low- and middle-income families in New York are sounding the alarm, denouncing that if the article is approved, the majority of those who live in the country will be seriously harmed.
And with the firm intention of demanding that federal legislators reject the advance of the project, which will begin to be discussed in earnest next week when congressmen and senators return to Washington to resume negotiations on government funding for 2025, a coalition of several New York organizations raised their voices in protest this Wednesday on Long Island.
Protesters announced they will call on Long Island Republican Congressman Anthony D’Esposito to repeal Bill 2025 and fight for working families and stop promoting more handouts to billionaires and corporations.
A project with ‘anti-union and anti-worker’ policies
According to the protesting coalition, which includes union leaders and activists from Long Island, groups such as Empire State Voices, Make the Road Action and 1199SEIU, and New York City residents, the project is riddled with harmful “anti-union and anti-worker policies.”
The plan would seek to raise taxes on middle-class families, dismantle the National Labor Relations Board, ban unions for public service workers, allow businesses to stop paying overtime, allow states to opt out of enforcing federal overtime and minimum wage laws, eliminate child labor protections, impose a lifetime cap on Medicaid benefits and eliminate limits on out-of-pocket costs for Medicare drugs.
“Under the plan, the average New York family of four would see an annual tax increase of more than $3,100, while the ultra-wealthy (households generating more than $10 million in income) would receive an average tax cut of $1.5 million,” protest organizers said in a statement.
“The plan would also increase health care costs for millions of New Yorkers, imposing new work requirements and a lifetime cap on Medicaid benefits and eliminating Medicare’s cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs. This would result in a massive redistribution of wealth to the wealthiest Americans, while forcing even more working families into poverty,” they added.
The protesters also said the bill includes a policy guide for the next presidential administration; a LinkedIn-style database of staff who could serve in the next administration; training for that group of candidates called the “Presidential Management Academy”; and a manual of actions to be taken within the first 180 days in office.
And while Trump has sought to distance himself from the project, critics say so as to avoid political fallout, two of his former officials — Paul Dans, who was chief of staff at the Office of Personnel Management and serves as director of the project, and Spencer Chretien, a former special assistant to Trump and now associate director of the project — are in charge of the plan, which is headed by the Heritage Foundation and an advisory board made up of more than 100 conservative groups.
“As a home health care worker, I see every day the importance of taking care of our health and having access to quality health care,” said Deyania Mairena, a member of Make the Road Action. “When Congressman Anthony D’Esposito returns to Congress next week, it is crucial that he stands up and fights for the health of Long Islanders and the essential programs our community relies on. We urge him to reject the dangerous Project 2025 agenda that harms the working class. Congressman D’Esposito is long overdue for putting our communities first.”
What Project 2025 would do
- Raise taxes on middle class families
- Dismantle the National Labor Relations Board
- Banning unions for public service workers
- Allow companies to stop paying overtime
- Allow states to opt out of federal overtime and minimum wage laws
- Eliminate child labor protections
- Imposing a lifetime limit on Medicaid benefits
- Eliminate limits on Medicare drug out-of-pocket costs