House Democrats launch task force to counter Project 2025
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Rep. Jared Huffman. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
A group of House Democrats is launching a task force to take on Project 2025, a sprawling policy roadmap for how right-wing groups envision a second Trump administration.
Why it matters: The Biden campaign and other Democrats have already seized on the Heritage Project plan for its proposed restrictions on abortion and contraception, among other culture war pushes.
- Project 2025 proposes overhauling or eliminating a swath of federal agencies including the Justice Department, Department of Homeland Security and FBI, as well as making it easier to fire civil servants.
- It also proposes a legal interpretation of the Constitution that maximizes the president's power to act unilaterally.
Driving the news: Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) announced the formation of the task force on Tuesday, saying in a statement, "We need a coordinated strategy to save America and stop this coup before it's too late."
- Lawmakers joining the group include Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.).
- The task force will liaise with liberal groups and "help gather research, organize briefings, and coordinate messaging and legislative strategy among the Democratic Caucus," Huffman's office said.
Between the lines: The task force reflects a broader strategy by Democrats of highlighting right-wing proposals on cultural issues to try to brand the GOP as a whole.
The other side: "Project 2025 will not be 'stopped' by an unserious, mistake-riddled press release or a task force of House Democrats lacking a basic understanding of federal governance," Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts said in a statement.
- "The task force launched by House Democrats only underscores the Left's fear of losing its grip on their authoritarian bureaucracy ... We will not give up and we will win."
Editor's note: This story was updated with additional reporting.
