During his first term as president, Trump left an undeniable mark on the American judiciary system, solidifying a Republican stronghold with his strategic appointment of federal court judges and Supreme Court justices. Those appointments proved pivotal in 2022 when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating the federal constitutional right to abortion that had stood for nearly 50 years. With Trump’s return to office, Project 2025’s policy blueprint proposes sweeping restrictions on reproductive healthcare, including plans to limit abortion access nationwide and reduce federal funding for family planning services.
The 900-page agenda, developed by conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation in collaboration with several other organizations, calls for a complete restructuring of the federal government, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The new HHS will adopt a pro-life agenda, further restricting access to abortion services and comprehensive sex education. The agenda recommends that the FDA withdraw its approval of the abortion-inducing drugs mifepristone and misoprostol. Project 2025 seeks to reenact the Comstock Act of 1873, making it illegal to mail these medications. It will also ban organizations like Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid funding. These proposed changes will impact low-income families and families living in rural areas where access to reproductive healthcare is already severely limited.
Project 2025’s plans go beyond limiting abortion access by pushing for new rules that critics say could amount to government surveillance. These mandates would require states to report detailed information about every abortion, including the stage of pregnancy, the age and home state of the patient, and the reason for the procedure. Additionally, Project 2025 would allow employers and insurance companies to deny coverage for contraceptive care and emergency contraceptives like Plan B, leaving millions without affordable access to these services. Critics argue that these requirements could violate privacy protections under HIPAA, sparking concerns that people may hesitate to seek reproductive care altogether due to possible legal consequences or unwanted government involvement in their personal health decisions.
The Heritage Foundation has been crafting conservative policy blueprints for over four decades, with President Reagan implementing 60% of their recommendations while in office. If Trump follows a similar pattern with Project 2025, millions of Americans could lose access to essential reproductive healthcare services, leading to changes that may take decades to undo.
SOURCES
https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/how-project-2025-seeks-obliterate-srhr
https://time.com/7014473/comstock-act-project-2025
https://www.heritage.org/conservatism/commentary/reagan-and-heritage-unique-partnership