Key Findings
Before we begin a summary of each department’s complete overhaul, let’s look at a quick snapshot of things you’ll find in this summary. Here are some of the key findings in terms of what the project aims to do:
- Prioritize defense against China
- Reverse policies allowing certain individuals to serve in the military
- Reject gender ideology and critical race theory
- Prohibit teachers from using names or pronouns differing from birth certificates without parental permission
- Eliminate certain visas
- Increase border control
- End anti-fossil fuel agendas
- Expand pro-life policies
- Remove obstacles for farmers
- Reduce federal food programs
- Eliminate certain grants, loans, and loan forgiveness programs
- Support nuclear warhead development.
Just to name a few. Let’s get started!
Lintao Zhang/Getty Images News/Getty Images; Adobe Stock; Trump White House Archived/President Trump Meets with Chairman Kim Jong Un/Public Domain/Flickr; Orion Montoya/Yay nukes II/CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED/Flickr
Dept. of Defense: What It Says
- Prioritize defense against China, increase allied defense sharing, modernize nuclear arsenal, and enhance counterterrorism efforts
- Reform budgeting processes, strengthen the defense industrial base, and optimize the acquisition community
- Accelerate technology deployment and protect research from foreign exploitation
- Foreign Military Sales: Promote exportability, streamline contracting, and optimize collaboration.
- Improve military recruiting and retention, restore previous standards, support military families
- Special Operations Forces: Prioritize irregular warfare
What Does This Mean?
Project 2025 proposes a focus on protecting against China's military advancements by working with allied countries to strengthen defense efforts and update nuclear weapons. They aim to invest in new technologies to improve counterterrorism measures and missile defense systems.
To achieve these goals, the think tank is looking to improve how the DOD buy and maintain military equipment and prevent other countries from stealing our research. They also want to make it easier for other countries to buy our military technology.
On the personnel side, the authors aim to recruit and retain better soldiers and reduce political influences. They're also tightening rules on social media and reversing policies that allow certain individuals to serve in the military.
Federal Reserve: What It Says
- Dual Mandate Elimination:
- Prioritize protecting the dollar and restraining inflation over full employment.
- Last-Resort Lending Limitation:
- Restrict standing bailout offers to encourage prudent lending.
- Balance Sheet Management:
- Wind down to pre-2008 levels, prohibit future expansions.
- Stop paying interest on excess reserves to encourage lending.
- Monetary Rule Reform Options:
- Consider Free Banking or Commodity-Backed Money.
- Explore K-Percent Rule or Inflation-Targeting Rules.
- Minimum Effective Reforms:
- Focus on Price Stability, improve Transparency and Accountability.
- Regulatory Focus on Bank Capital to prevent "too big to fail".
- Commission on Federal Reserve's Mission:
- Examine mission alternatives, oppose Central Bank Digital Currency.
- Examine mission alternatives, oppose Central Bank Digital Currency.
What Does This Mean?
First off, it's shifting its focus away from trying to keep both inflation and unemployment low. Now, it's mainly concerned with making sure the value of the dollar stays strong and keeping inflation under control, even if that means fewer people have jobs.
It's also making it harder for banks to get help from the government if they're in trouble. This is meant to make banks think more carefully about who they lend money to, so they don't take unnecessary risks.
The Federal Reserve is also planning to reduce the amount of assets it owns, basically undoing some of the things it did to help the economy during the financial crisis of 2008. It's also going to stop paying banks interest on the extra money they keep with the Fed, hoping that will encourage them to lend more money out to people and businesses.
There are some big changes being talked about for how the Federal Reserve makes decisions about interest rates and money supply. Some options include letting banks issue their own money or tying the value of money to things like gold or other commodities. The authors are also thinking about using specific rules to decide how much money should be in the economy at any given time, or setting a target for how much prices should go up each year.
Overall, the main goals are to keep prices stable, make the Federal Reserve more open about what it's doing, and make sure banks have enough money saved up to handle problems on their own, without needing a government bailout. There's also a group looking into different ways the Federal Reserve could operate altogether, and the think tank is not in favor of creating a digital version of the dollar controlled by the central bank.
Dept. of Homeland Security: What It Says
- The Office of the Secretary seeks to expand political personnel, ensure Senate-confirmed leadership, and improve transparency.
- Proposals for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) include merging with ICE, utilizing military resources, and improving data transparency.
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reforms focus on stopping case closures, prioritizing criminal aliens, and eliminating certain visa programs.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) aims to prioritize national security, enhance fraud detection, and advocate for legislative changes.
- Proposed reforms for FEMA, CISA, U.S. Coast Guard, and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) aim to enhance efficiency, focus on core missions, and improve coordination.
What Does This Mean?
The group suggests breaking up the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) into smaller parts, each focusing on a specific mission. For example, they want to combine agencies like U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with others related to immigration to form a new agency solely dedicated to border security and immigration.
Some agencies might be moved to different departments to better match their goals. They propose splitting up the U.S. Secret Service, privatizing the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and closing smaller agencies to save money. Additionally, the authors recommend removing unions from DHS for security reasons.
Their plan involves changing how FEMA spends money and cutting most of the grant programs. The goal is to prioritize important tasks like border security and disaster response. They also want to appoint top leaders in DHS quickly and shut down ineffective parts while moving resources to more critical areas.
The project aims to relocate DHS employees to where they're most needed, ensure grant recipients obey immigration laws, and restrict certain visas for foreign workers. They suggest merging Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with CBP to bolster border security, making border security data more transparent, allowing CBP executives to use agency aircraft, and strengthening immigration policies through rulemaking and legislative efforts.
Dept. of Labor and Related Agencies: What It Says
- Eliminate ideological projects advancing race, gender, and other classifications in labor policy.
- Ban critical race theory training and prohibit federal funding.
- Restrict Bostock's application to orientation and gender status in hiring and firing.
- Withdraw unlawful notices and guidances expanding Bostock's application.
- Disclaim regulatory pretensions and affirm decision-making via majority vote.
- Reorient enforcement priorities towards accommodation of disability, religion, and pregnancy.
- Allow workers to accumulate paid time off.
- Incentivize on-site childcare and clarify employer expenses.
- Prohibit ERISA plan investments based on factors unrelated to investor risks and returns.
- Remove politicization of the Thrift Savings Plan and clarify fiduciary duties.
- Reform multiemployer pensions to ensure participant protections.
- Stricter reporting requirements for troubled plans.
- Strengthen international labor provisions in trade agreements to eliminate forced labor.
- Investigate foreign labor violations undermining American workers' earning power.
What Does This Mean?
First off, the authors are doing a 180 on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. They want to get rid of projects that focus too much on race and other categories when it comes to labor policies. They're also putting the brakes on teaching critical race theory in training programs and cutting off federal funding for it.
When it comes to discrimination, the group is being more specific. They're limiting a recent court decision called Bostock to only apply to cases about orientation in hiring and firing. They're also scrapping some old notices and guidelines that expanded how Bostock was used.
The project is also changing up how the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) works. They're saying they won't act like they can make new rules anymore and will instead make decisions based on what most of them agree on. Plus, they're shifting their focus to things like accommodating disabilities, religious beliefs, and pregnancy.
Another big change is they're trying to make it easier for workers to take time off and pushing companies to provide childcare. The think tank also looking into how retirement plans are managed, making sure they're not influenced by anything other than what's best for the people investing in them.
The authors are also getting tougher on pension plans that cover workers from multiple companies, making sure they're well-managed and requiring more transparency if they're in trouble.
Lastly, the group is taking a harder stance on international labor issues. They want to make sure trade deals don't involve forced labor and they're investigating situations where foreign workers might be hurting American workers' ability to earn a living.
Dept. of Education: What It Says
- Portability of federal education spending, directing funds to families.
- Federal tax credits for K-12 education savings accounts managed by nonprofits.
- Prioritizing education choice for federal children, including military families and D.C. residents.
- Returning education funding control to states and localities.
- Expecting economic productivity from taxpayers investing in federal student aid.
- Ending political use of federal student loans, ensuring repayment.
- Civil rights enforcement based on laws, rejecting gender ideology and critical race theory.
- OESE: Reducing programs, restructuring Title I funding.
- Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education: Transferring programs, reallocating resources.
- OSERS: Converting IDEA funding to block grants, reallocating enforcement assets.
- Rescinding regulations, restoring Title IX rules.
- Prohibiting compelled speech based on gender identity.
- Eliminating competitive grant programs, reducing spending on formula grants.
- Ending PLUS loan program, time-based and occupation-based loan forgiveness, eliminating GEAR UP program.
- Prohibiting public education employees from using names or pronouns differing from birth certificates without parental permission.
What Does This Mean?
The project aims to break up public education and shift funds to alternatives like private schooling and homeschooling. Although federal tax dollars have traditionally only supported public schooling, Project 2025 follows suit with several Republican-led states that have instated vouchers to promote "school choice."
Tax breaks are planned for families saving for K-12 education, managed by specialized groups. Project 2025 prioritizes choices for military families and D.C. residents and advocates for increased state and local involvement in fund allocation. The authors emphasize responsible student loan repayment and oppose politicizing loans.
Amendments target gender and race in education, enforcing relevant laws. Changes to funding and management of programs like Title I and adult education are underway, including program eliminations like parent loans and some forgiveness programs.
Grants are being halted, and restrictions are placed on public school staff using names or nicknames not on the birth certificate without permission from parents.
Dept. of Health and Human Services: What It Says
- CDC: Split into two separate entities for data gathering and policy recommendations.
- FDA: Prohibit delaying generic drug availability, create legal remedies for generic companies.
- Abortion Pills: Reverse approval, strengthen adverse events reporting, ensure transparency in inspections.
- NIH: Prohibit research using abortion-derived fetal tissue, end human embryonic stem cell registry.
- CMS: Increase Medicare beneficiary control, reduce regulatory burdens, remove restrictions on physician-owned hospitals.
- Affordable Care Act and Private Health Insurance: Remove barriers to direct primary care, strengthen hospital price transparency, revisit surprise medical billing regulations.
- Life, Conscience, and Bodily Integrity: Prohibit abortion travel funding, audit Hyde Amendment compliance, revise ACA abortion separate payment regulation.
- Radical Redefinition of Relations: Restore religious and moral exemptions, eliminate potential abortifacient contraception.
- Eliminate the Head Start program.
What Does This Mean?
- The CDC will be split into two separate parts—one focusing on gathering data and the other on making recommendations for health policies.
- The FDA will stop companies from delaying the availability of cheaper generic drugs and will create legal solutions for generic drug companies.
- Approvals for certain abortion pills will be reversed, and there will be stricter reporting of negative effects from these pills. Also, inspections of facilities involved in producing these pills will be made more transparent.
- The NIH will no longer fund research that uses fetal tissue from abortions and will shut down the registry for human embryonic stem cells.
- Medicare beneficiaries will have more control over their healthcare and will reduce the amount of regulations they face. Also, restrictions on hospitals owned by doctors will be lifted.
- People will be able to access direct primary care easier and will require hospitals to be more transparent about their prices. Regulations around surprise medical bills will be reconsidered.
- Funding for travel related to abortions will be stopped, compliance with the Hyde Amendment (which restricts federal funding for abortions) will be audited, and regulations regarding separate payments for abortions under the ACA will be revised.
- Exemptions based on religion and morals will be reinstated, and contraceptives that might cause abortions will be eliminated.
- The Head Start program, which provides early childhood education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families, will be discontinued.
Dept. of State: What It Says
- Immediate placement of appointees pending confirmation, increasing political appointees, supporting and training appointees, and leveraging career officials' expertise.
- Realign ambassadorial positions with the President's agenda.
- Retroactive review and repair of negotiations and funding commitments.
- Vigorous response to the Chinese threat, countering China's aggression.
- Supporting democracy in Iran.
- Addressing the crisis in Venezuela.
- Stabilizing North Korea.
- Combating socialism and enhancing regional security in the Western Hemisphere.
- Prioritizing national interests in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, South and Central Asia, and the Arctic.
- Serving U.S. interests in international relationships while considering withdrawal if organizations act against them.
- Conducting a cost-benefit analysis of participation in international organizations.
- Avoiding promotion or funding of abortion and ensuring pandemic responses respect human rights.
What Does This Mean?
The think tank prioritizes appointing politically connected individuals into key roles, offering them extra support and training. Ambassadors' roles align with the President's agenda, while past deals are scrutinized and corrected, particularly regarding China.
Foreign policy centers on countering China, aiding Iranian democracy, stabilizing Venezuela, calming North Korea, and combating socialism while ensuring Western Hemisphere security.
They monitor the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, South and Central Asia, and the Arctic to safeguard U.S. interests.
Engagement with international groups is contingent on benefitting the U.S.; the authors suggest withdrawing if it doesn't. Membership worthiness is evaluated, ensuring groups oppose abortion and pandemic assistance upholds rights.
Dept. of Housing and Urban Dev.: What It Says
- Resetting HUD:
- Reversing progressive policies.
- Redistributing powers to political appointees.
- Reviewing and repealing Biden Administration policies.
- Restricting eligibility for housing assistance to citizens.
- Implementing reforms for upward mobility and economic advancement.
- Adjusting mortgage insurance premiums.
- Moving HUD Real Estate Assessment Center for streamlined enforcement.
- Long-term Policy Reforms:
- Encouraging choice and competition in rental assistance.
- Balancing mobility vouchers with preserving public housing.
- Addressing policies hindering private-sector development.
- Prioritizing support for single-family homeownership.
- Proposing tax credits for rural housing renovation.
- Enhancing flexibility in rental assistance subsidies.
- Ensuring financial accountability.
What Does This Mean?
The project is undoing some of the things that were put in place by the previous administration, giving more power to people chosen by the current president. They're also reviewing and getting rid of policies that were put in by the Biden Administration.
The think tank is making it so only citizens can get help with housing, and they're trying to make it easier for people to move up in the world and do better financially.
They're also changing how much people have to pay for mortgage insurance.
In the long term, the group wants to give people more choices when it comes to getting help with rent, while still keeping public housing around. They're looking at ways to make it easier for businesses to build houses and apartments. They're focusing on helping people buy their own homes, especially in rural areas, and they want to give tax breaks to people who fix up houses in the country.
Dept. of Transportation: What It Says
- Build America Bureau (BAB) should maintain underwriting discipline for transportation projects.
- Conduct value-for-money studies for Public-Private Partnerships (P3s) to compare procurement methods.
- DOT should set standards for emerging technologies without hindering innovation.
- Reset Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards to reasonable levels achievable by internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
- Revoke California's special waiver for fuel economy standards.
- FHWA should refocus on maintaining and improving highways, reducing federal involvement in local infrastructure.
- Aviation reforms should focus on affordability, safety, and removing obstacles to emerging technologies.
- FAA needs modernization, restructuring, and operational changes to enhance efficiency and innovation.
- Federal transit policy should focus on reducing costs and revisiting labor regulations.
- FRA should align decisions with safety goals and preserve research integrity.
- MARAD should be transferred to DHS for better alignment and consider repealing the Jones Act for economic efficiency.
What Does This Mean?
- Make sure that when they fund transportation projects, they're being careful with their money.
- Compare different ways of getting projects done, like using private companies, to see which is the best value for taxpayers.
- Come up with rules for new transportation technology, but not make it hard for new ideas to come forward.
- Set fuel efficiency rules for cars at a level that makes sense and can be met by regular cars.
- Take away California's special permission to set its own fuel efficiency rules.
- The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA):
- Focus more on fixing and improving highways, and less on local projects.
- Make flying cheaper and safer, and make it easier for new ideas in aviation to take off.
- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA): Get with the times, change how it works, and find ways to work better and come up with new ideas.
- Federal transit policy: Be cheaper and look at the rules around workers.
- The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA): Make sure its choices keep people safe and stick to good research.
- And the Maritime Administration (MARAD): Move to the Department of Homeland Security to work better together, and maybe get rid of the Jones Act to save money.
Dept. of Agriculture: What It Says
- Defend American agriculture, prioritize food productivity over ancillary issues like climate change.
- Withdraw from U.N. sustainable development schemes related to food production.
- Emphasize efficient and innovative food production for safe, affordable food.
- Advocate for policies removing obstacles for American farmers and the food supply chain.
- Repeal federal sugar program, ideally ARC and PLC programs.
- Prohibit farmers from receiving payments from multiple subsidy programs.
- Reduce premium subsidy rate for crop insurance.
- Transfer USDA food and nutrition programs to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
- SNAP Reform:
- Re-implement work requirements for able-bodied individuals.
- Reform broad-based categorical eligibility to prevent abuse.
- Re-evaluate the Thrifty Food Plan and eliminate loopholes like the heat-and-eat provision.
- WIC Reform:
- Reform state voucher system to prevent monopolies.
- Re-evaluate excessive regulations on baby formula to address shortages.
- Federal School Meal Program Recommendations:
- Work with lawmakers to eliminate CEP.
- Restore programs to original intent, reject universal free school meals.
What Does This Mean?
The authors want to focus on supporting American farmers and making sure they can produce plenty of food efficiently and safely, without getting too caught up in things like climate change. They also want to change some ways they give farmers subsidies like getting rid of the sugar program and only letting farmers use one subsidy at a time.
The project also suggests moving some food and nutrition programs to a different department. They want to make changes to programs like SNAP and WIC to ensure they're not being abused and that they're helping people who really need them. For school meals, the group wants to get rid of a program that provides free meals to all students and instead focus on helping those who need it most.
Dept. of Justice: What It Says
- Reaffirm commitment to protecting public safety.
- Provide technical support to state and local crime handling.
- Criticized Biden DOJ for failure in citizen protection, racial bias, ignoring immigration laws, and politicization.
- FBI refocus on violent crime, criminal organizations, and national security.
- Conduct comprehensive review, realign FBI, prohibit certain activities, and streamline non-law enforcement functions.
- Emphasize field offices and propose eliminating Director's term limit.
- Prioritize reducing violent crime nationwide.
- Develop plans to reduce violent crime in U.S. Attorney districts.
- Combat anti-law enforcement reforms contributing to crime rate increases.
- Bring federal charges against criminals evading local prosecution.
- Take legal action against officials denying equal protection by not prosecuting criminals.
- Support policies for prosecution and appropriate sentencing of violent crimes.
- Focus on dismantling criminal organizations like MS-13, drug cartels, and domestic mafia.
- Utilize statutory tools and secure borders to prevent illegal activities.
- Restart initiatives like China Initiative to combat threats from China and Iran.
- Devote resources to address emerging threats like cybercrime.
- Restore DOJ's values of independence, impartiality, and integrity.
- Eliminate partisan policies and investigations.
- Align litigation decisions with the President's agenda and the rule of law.
- Ensure consistency with the President's agenda.
- Use executive resources to balance legislative and judicial branches.
- Revisit the constitutionality of independent agencies.
What Does This Mean?
The group is focusing on supporting local law enforcement and cracking down on violent crime. They're also trying to restore trust in the FBI by reviewing its operations and concentrating on its core responsibilities.
Additionally, the project aims to tackle criminal organizations, both domestic and international, and address national security threats, especially in areas like cybercrime.
The DOJ wants to ensure that everyone is treated equally under the law and that partisan politics don't interfere with justice. They're also advocating for the Constitution and the separation of powers, aiming to maintain a balance between the branches of government.
Agency For International Dev.: What It Says
- Align U.S. foreign aid by authorizing the USAID Administrator as the Director of Foreign Assistance for better coordination, especially under conservative administrations.
- Counter China's Belt and Road Initiative by strengthening USAID's efforts, aiming to safeguard U.S. strategic relationships and avoid aid wastage.
- Critique Biden Administration's climate policies, proposing to end anti-fossil fuel agendas and redirect aid to immediate needs, prioritizing responsible resource management.
- Dismantle DEI apparatus at USAID, ensuring equality without ideological bias.
- Rename and refocus the Office of Gender Equality, eliminating ideological agendas.
- Reinstate and expand pro-life policies in foreign assistance.
- Strengthen efforts to promote international religious freedom.
- Emphasize support for women, children, and families in global health priorities, building local capacity and collaborating with faith-based organizations.
- Enhance data collection, private-sector engagement, and hiring practices for better outcomes.
What Does This Mean?
The project aims to streamline U.S. foreign aid under conservative leadership and counter China's Belt and Road Initiative by aligning aid with American interests. They advocate for a shift in climate policies towards fossil fuels and immediate concerns rather than long-term goals.
The authors seek fair treatment by the U.S. aid agency regardless of political affiliations. Additionally, they propose renaming and redirecting the Office for Gender Equality, revising abortion regulations, and prioritizing global religious freedom.
Emphasizing health, the think tank plans to collaborate with local groups and religious institutions to assist women, children, and families worldwide. Furthermore, they intend to enhance data collection, business partnerships, and hiring practices to boost the effectiveness of their initiatives.
Dept. of Energy and Related Commissions: What It Says
- Advocate for diverse energy sources and innovation.
- Ensure resilience against cyber and physical threats.
- Support U.S. energy resources for allies and against adversaries.
- Recognize U.S. leadership in scientific advancements.
- Address threats to U.S. scientific dominance.
- Rename DOE to focus on energy security and advanced science.
- Eliminate Special-Interest Funding Programs.
- Cease political interference.
- Streamline nuclear regulatory processes.
- Prioritize energy research.
- Make U.S. energy dominance part of foreign policy.
- Develop a National Energy Security Strategy.
- Strengthen DESAS's role internationally.
- Support new nuclear warhead development.
- Reevaluate nonproliferation efforts.
- FERC Needed Reforms:
- Address challenges from renewable energy growth.
- Enhance security against cyber and physical threats.
What Does It Mean?
First, the think tank is all about ensuring the U.S. has enough energy from different sources and is protected from things like cyber attacks. They also want to keep America ahead in the science department and ensure the Department of Energy does what it says by renaming it and cutting out some special-interest funding.
The authors also plan to change energy policies to remove politics from them, make nuclear power more efficient, and prioritize research.
On the global stage, they're making sure the U.S. stays on top in energy and is safe from threats while also beefing up our role in international energy security.
Lastly, they're looking at nuclear security, wanting to develop new nuclear weapons and figure out how to stop other countries from getting them. They're also eyeing some changes for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to handle the growth in renewable energy and beef up security.
Environmental Protection Agency: What It Says
- Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) Reforms:
- Focus on limiting air pollutants with states.
- Implement consistent cost considerations.
- Reform Biden-era regulations.
- Climate Change Reforms:
- Remove unnecessary reporting burdens on businesses.
- Establish realistic deadlines and emissions rates for greenhouse gases.
- Repeal overly stringent regulations under the AIM Act.
- Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) Reforms:
- Focus on project management.
- Revise National Contingency Plan.
- Update groundwater cleanup regulations.
- Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) Reforms:
- Ensure timely evaluations of new chemicals.
- Reform ESA policies for pesticides.
- Office of Research and Development (ORD) Reforms:
- Cease ongoing science activities without authorization.
- Review contracts and advisory bodies.
- Prioritize scientific integrity.
- American Indian Office (AIO) Reforms:
- Elevate AIO as stand-alone office.
- Centralize EPA tribal grants under AIO.
What Does This Mean?
The authors focus on reducing air pollution by working closely with states and considering costs consistently. They're also updating regulations related to climate change, making it easier for businesses to report while still setting realistic goals for reducing greenhouse gases.
Additionally, the group aims to improve emergency project management and update rules for cleaning up groundwater. The EPA is also ensuring that new chemicals are evaluated promptly and revising pesticide policies. They're prioritizing scientific integrity and making sure that the American Indian Office has more authority and resources to handle tribal grants effectively.
Dept. of the Interior: What It Says
- Rollbacks and Actions:
- Reverse Biden's orders, reinstate Trump's Energy Dominance Agenda.
- Review and rescind SO 3398 and related regulations.
- Reinstate Trump-era DOI secretarial orders on coal, energy independence, and environmental reviews.
- Reinstate lease sales, reform OCSLA, review resource management plans.
- Comply with ANILCA, conclude coal leasing program review.
- Abandon land withdrawals, expedite permits.
- Rulemaking and Personnel Changes:
- Rescind Biden rules, reinstate Trump rules on BLM waste prevention, ESA, MBTA, and NEPA reforms.
- Reinstate Trump's plan for leasing in the National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska.
- Utilize state agency personnel, reinstate Schedule F proposal.
- Foster state-federal and tribal-federal cooperative agreements.
- BLM Headquarters and Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs):
- Majority of BLM's land and employees are in the American West.
- Trump Administration relocated BLM headquarters to Grand Junction, Colorado.
- Move improved accessibility and efficiency.
- IG recommendations for placing all BLM LEOs under law enforcement chain of command.
- Trump Administration implemented this recommendation.
- Biden Administration suspended the order, causing concerns for professionalism and coordination.
- Immediate Actions Regarding Alaska:
- Fulfillment of land entitlements to Alaska and Alaska Natives is crucial.
- Approval of plans for oil and mineral exploration is necessary for economic growth.
- Recognition of Alaska's authority over wildlife and waters management is essential for sovereignty and development.
What Does This Mean?
The project is undoing decisions made by the Biden administration and bringing back policies from the Trump era.
For the DOI, the authors are reinstating orders related to coal, energy independence, and environmental reviews from the time of Trump. They want to speed up leasing of land for various purposes and make it easier to get permits.
The group is also changing some rules and personnel. They're also planning to use more state agency personnel and want closer cooperation between states, tribes, and the federal government.
Regarding the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), they've moved its headquarters to Colorado for better efficiency. There's also a recommendation to put all BLM Law Enforcement Officers under one chain of command, which was started by Trump but suspended by Biden.
Lastly, in Alaska, the think tank want to make sure the state and Native Alaskans get the land they're entitled to. They're also pushing for approval of plans for oil and mineral exploration to boost the economy. They believe Alaska should have more control over its wildlife and waters for its development.
Dept. of Veterans Affairs: What It Says
- Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Reforms:
- Rescind clinical policies on abortion and gender reassignment surgery.
- Address shifting veteran demographics, focusing on aging population.
- Manage tension between Direct Care and Community Care effectively.
- Codify VA MISSION Act access standards for proper implementation.
- Establish a veterans bill of rights for clear entitlements and dispute resolution.
- Strengthen Community Care through directives and education programs.
- Overhaul Family Caregiver Program for consistency and effectiveness.
- Mandate public reporting on VHA operations for accountability.
- Encourage collaboration with academic and private sectors for better patient experience.
- Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Reforms:
- Address complexity of benefits to prevent confusion and distrust.
- Streamline disability claims process for timeliness and efficiency.
- Set performance targets and report publicly on actual performance.
- Pilot "Express 30" commitment for first disability claim completion.
- Increase outsourcing of disability medical examinations.
- Implement automation to expedite claims processing and improve accuracy.
- Focus on reducing improper payments and fraud through better tools and training.
- Human Resources and Administration (HRA) Reforms:
- Revoke prior administration's authority delegations.
- Relocate career SES members from political appointee positions.
- Evaluate hybrid and remote work arrangements for productivity.
- Address impact of increased remote work on cohesiveness and accountability.
What Does This Mean?
- Updating its operations:
- Removing certain medical procedure rules.
- Adapting to the aging veteran population.
- Balancing direct care with community services.
- Clarifying access rules under the VA MISSION Act.
- Establishing veterans' rights and dispute resolution.
- Enhancing community care and family caregiver support.
- Increasing transparency and collaboration with outside sectors.
- The VA:
- Simplifying benefit information.
- Speeding up disability claims processing.
- Setting performance targets and reporting.
- Testing quicker disability claim processing.
- Using more outsourcing and automation.
- Strengthening fraud prevention measures.
- HR and administration:
- Reversing previous administration decisions.
- Shifting personnel from political to career roles.
- Exploring remote work options.
- Addressing the impact of increased remote work on teamwork and accountability.
Dept. of Commerce: What It Says
- Office of the Secretary (OS) Reforms:
- Digitize and modernize department processes.
- Enhance communication with external partners.
- Review and potentially abolish advisory committees.
- International Trade Administration (ITA) Priorities:
- Counter malign influence of China.
- Enforce trade agreements and secure critical supply chains.
- Support private sector innovation and competitiveness.
- Enforcement & Compliance (E&C) Process and Policy Proposals:
- Reinstate in-person verifications and accelerate reviews.
- Pursue importers for unpaid duties and prevent future evasion.
- Ensure political leadership and address bias concerns.
- Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Recommendations:
- Reverse loosening of Export Administration Regulations.
- Strengthen control over emerging technologies.
- Enhance licensing procedures and end-use checks.
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Reform Recommendations:
- Break up NOAA and reorganize components.
- Ensure efficient use of resources and data integrity.
- Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs and Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Overview:
- Focus efforts on supporting economic growth and opportunity.
- Study feasibility of merging statistical agencies for efficiency.
- Census Bureau Management and Programs:
- Enhance command and control and improve financial management.
- Review and optimize other census programs.
What Does This Mean?
The authors are planning to use more digital tools and update their processes to make things run smoother. They also want to improve how they talk with people outside the department, like businesses and other organizations. They're thinking about getting rid of some advisory groups, too.
When it comes to international trade, the group is focusing on countering the negative influence of China and making sure trade deals are followed properly. They're also working to secure important supply chains and help businesses come up with new ideas to stay competitive.
For enforcing trade rules, the think tank wants to start doing more in-person checks and speed up their reviews. They're also cracking down on importers who don't pay their duties and making sure it doesn't happen in the future. They're paying attention to any biases in their work and making sure leaders are doing their job well.
When it comes to controlling what gets exported, the project is tightening up the rules that were relaxed before. They're also keeping a closer eye on new technologies to make sure they don't end up in the wrong hands. They're improving how they give out licenses and checking up on where things are being used.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) might see some big changes, like splitting up and rearranging parts of the organization. They want to use their resources better and make sure the data they collect is accurate.
Another part of the Department of Commerce, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), is focusing on helping the economy grow. The authors are thinking about merging some of the agencies that collect economic data to make things more efficient.
Dept. of The Treasury: What It Says
- Raise revenue with low rates on broad base.
- Minimize impact on families and respect taxpayer rights.
- Simplify tax code with two-rate system.
- Reduce corporate tax rate, repeal tax increases.
- Allow post-tax savings with non-taxable gains.
- Flexible withdrawals for individuals.
- Reduce tax bias against wages.
- Cap untaxed benefits employers can claim.
- Reject global minimum corporate tax proposals.
- Resist international tax rate harmonization efforts.
- End financial support and withdraw.
- Oppose OECD's tax regulation push.
- Enhance legal protections and resources for advocacy.
- Address inadequacies in taxpayer rights.
- Review and reduce burdensome information reporting.
- Address compliance costs due to complex tax laws.
- Oppose protocols expanding tax cooperation without privacy protections.
- Make balancing the federal budget a priority.
- Consider issuing longer-term bonds to reduce interest payments.
What Does This Mean?
The authors aim to raise money by charging low tax rates on a wide range of things people and businesses buy or earn. They also want to make sure taxes don't hurt families too much and that everyone's rights are respected.
They plan to simplify the tax system by having just two tax rates, which should make it easier for people to understand and pay their taxes. The think tank also want to lower the tax rate that companies pay and get rid of any recent tax increases. This would allow people to save money without having to pay taxes on the profits they make from those savings.
Individuals would have more flexibility in taking money out of their savings without facing heavy taxes. They also want to make sure that taxes don't unfairly target people who earn their money through wages.
The project is against proposals that would force companies to pay a minimum amount of tax globally, and they don't want tax rates to be the same across different countries. They're also planning to stop supporting certain international tax regulations.
The group wants to strengthen the legal rights of taxpayers and make sure they have the resources they need to fight for fair treatment. They also want to reduce the burden of complex tax laws on people and businesses.
The authors are against agreements that would make it easier for countries to share tax information without protecting people's privacy. And finally, they want to focus on balancing the country's budget and possibly issuing bonds that would help reduce the amount of money the government has to pay in interest.
Small Business Administration: What It Says
- Advocate for small-business needs with qualified leadership.
- Focus on authorized programs for tighter operations.
- Ensure accountability to Congress and watchdog recommendations.
- Cease direct lending to support resilient supply chains.
- Expand outreach to small businesses across sectors and regions.
- Modernize with technology for improved operations.
- Implement performance metrics to safeguard funds and address IT challenges.
- Timely review and implementation of watchdog recommendations.
- Strengthen Office of Advocacy by amending Regulatory Flexibility Act.
- Increase Advocacy's budget by at least 50%.
- Direct agencies to comply with RFA, organizing roundtables for feedback.
- COVID-19 Lending Program:
- Bring private-sector support for addressing forgiveness and fraud.
- Ensure eligible entities pay back funds.
- Coordinate with Congress to assess disaster loan administration.
- Clarify no new direct lending programs by SBA.
- Eligibility of Religious Entities for SBA Loans:
- Notify Congress of intent not to enforce unconstitutional regulations.
- Remove outdated SBA Form 1971 and finalize proposed rule.
- Continue SBIR and STTR programs for technological innovation.
- Advocate for increased funding and stricter rules for capital investments.
- Request larger loans for manufacturing from Congress.
- Reform SBIC program to focus on small manufacturers.
- Encourage Congress to establish a "medium-sized business" classification.
What Does This Mean?
The project is making sure that people in charge understand the needs of small businesses, tightening up how they run programs, and making sure they're accountable to Congress and following recommendations to improve.
The authors are also stopping direct lending, reaching out to small businesses in different areas and industries, and using technology to make things run smoother.
To make sure they're using funds wisely and dealing with IT problems, the group is setting up ways to measure how well they're doing and taking advice on board quickly. They're also working on making laws better for small businesses and giving more money to the part of the SBA that speaks up for them.
With COVID-19 loans, the authors are getting help from private companies to make sure loans are forgiven properly and to stop fraud. They're making sure only the right businesses get these loans and that they pay them back. They're also looking at disaster loans and saying no to new direct lending programs. The think tank is figuring out how to help religious groups get loans without breaking the rules and getting rid of old paperwork.
The SBA is keeping programs that help businesses come up with new technology and pushing for more funding and rules to make sure investments are smart. The group is asking Congress for bigger loans for manufacturing and changing a program to help small manufacturers more.
Lastly, the authors are asking Congress to make a new category for businesses that are bigger than small but not quite medium-sized.