“Project 2025” is just a shortened title for the Ninth Edition of the “Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise.” It was released by The Heritage Foundation in April of 2023, as a comprehensive Policy Guide for the next Conservative President.
The massive 922-page Report recommends specific proposals that address major issues. It also makes recommendations on the restructuring of various federal agencies, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), to reform and solve these major issues.
Chapter 20 (starting on page 641) deals exclusively with the VA. It was authored by Mr. Brooks D. Tucker, former VA Chief of Staff during the former President Trump Administration.
On January 23, 2018, The Heritage Foundation announced that President Trump, during his first presidential year, embraced nearly two-thirds of their 334 unique policy recommendations.
These policy recommendations were adopted through inclusion in the Trump budget, implemented by regulatory guidance or under serious consideration, in accordance with The Heritage Foundation’s original proposals.
Senator J.D. Vance has developed a close relationship with the President of The Heritage Foundation’s Kevin Roberts, since 2021. President Roberts was the chief architect of “Project 2025.”
Senator Vance praised Roberts for helping to turn The Heritage Foundation “into the de facto institutional home of Trumpism” and he endorsed several elements of “Project 2025.”
There are several points in “Project 2025” that I agree with. However, there are other points that I feel are not in the best interest of veterans, especially disabled veterans, and the VA, in a long-range perspective.
I will now address these negative points that distress me in “Project 2025.”
First, “Project 2025” recommends, along with other federal agencies, that the VA should be managed by more political appointees. On page 651 of the “Project 2025” Report, “Transfer all career SES out of PA/PAS-designated positions on the first day to ensure political control of the VA.”
The term, Senior Executive Service (SES) position, in essence, was established in the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, partly because of the Watergate Scandal. The SES position is the established linkage between the Presidential Appointments and Presidential Appointments with Senate Approval (PA/PAS) and the rest of the Federal workforce.
My Opinion: I personally know several SES leaders and they possess well-honed executive skills and share a broad perspective on government and a public service commitment that is grounded in the Constitution.
Second, the “Project 2025” Report recommends (on page 646) re-creating a new Asset Infrastructure Review (AIR) of national VHA medical markets. In 2018, a similar AIR plan failed when the VA Hospitals that would be closed was revealed to the public.
Third, “Project 2025” stated (on page 643) that two “ambitious authorities” have overwhelmed the VA’s ability to provide medical services, process new claims and adjudicate appeals. These two “ambitious authorities” were the passage of the 1991 Agent Orange Act and the 2022 PACT Act.
These two “ambitious authorities” caused the VA to hire more employees and caused “historic increases” in federal spending. To resolve some of these issues, the “Project 2025” Report (on page 651) states: “Rescind all delegations of authority promulgated by the VA under the prior Administration.”
My Opinion: It was a delegation of VA authority that opened the door for granting veterans their earned Agent Orange and PACT Act claims immediately, instead of being “phased-out” over a period of years. The recent VA announced presumptives on hypertension is another example of delegation of VA authority.
Fourth, “Project 2025” recommends additional private sector companies (for example, Community Care Program) for providing VA health care delivery, disability medical examinations, claims processing and operations like acquisition and technology integration.
However, a 2022 study by RAND Corporation, found that veterans using Community Care faced issues with care coordination, potentially leading to duplicative tests, and inconsistent treatment plans. This “privatization” in the long run could lead to a disjointed healthcare experience for veterans, which may negatively impact overall health outcomes.
Fifth, “Project 2025” proposes (on page 649) that the current VA’s Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD) should be revised and proposes a stricter determination on what claims qualify for disability benefits. This refinement of the VASRD would potentially reduce the service-connected conditions that would qualify for eligibility benefits for future claims.
Sixth, with the refinement of the VASRD for future claimants, current disability compensation recipients could experience reductions in their number of benefits, depending on the outcome of re-assessments and policy change.
My Opinion: “Project 2025” is available online for anyone’s review. Although the Report has not been endorsed by either Presidential candidate, The Heritage Foundation believes it to be a comprehensive Policy Guide for the next Conservative President.
Since “Project 2025” has a Chapter dealing exclusively with both disabled veterans and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), veterans should have a vested interest in reviewing this Report and formulating their own opinions and conclusions.
BioSketch: John Plahovinsak is a retired 32-year Army veteran, who served from 1967 to 1999. He is the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Department of Ohio’s Hospital Chairman and Adjutant of Chapter #63 (Clermont County). He can be contacted at: plahovinsak@msn.com.