Opinion: ‘Project 2025’ would be a disaster for Brooklyn

If you're like me, you've probably already heard a lot about Project 2025. But what I haven't read anywhere is what it actually means for my constituents in Brooklyn or other working-class New Yorkers across the city. So I took a close look, and what I found was even scarier than I expected.

Project 2025 is not just another campaign platform – it's a comprehensive playbook for Donald Trump to reshape our country according to a strict ideological agenda. Under the guise of “reform,” Project 2025 threatens to roll back decades of progress on issues that matter deeply to everyday New Yorkers. From health care to education to labor rights, the proposed changes could have a profoundly negative impact on our lives.

Let's start with health care, where the bottom line is that Project 2025 would make it harder for the working class and senior citizens to get access to crucial medical treatment. That’s because Project 2025 includes ending Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act as we know them, which are crucial lifelines for millions of Americans. Seniors in Brooklyn and across New York City cannot survive without Medicare. Gutting Medicaid would disproportionately harm our lower-income and immigrant populations across Brooklyn, from Bath Beach in my district to East New York, where Medicaid is a critical resource. And the ACA's protections are especially crucial in a borough like ours, where many residents work freelance or part-time jobs without employer-provided health insurance. Without these protections, thousands could lose access to affordable health care, forcing them to choose between seeing a doctor and putting dinner on the table.

Project 2025’s proposed changes to education would be equally catastrophic for our kids. Brooklyn's public schools serve a diverse student body, many of whom rely on resources provided solely by the federal government. Project 2025 aims to slash federal education funding, close all Head Start child care programs – which serve many low-income children across New York City every year – and shift more control over education from the federal to local governments. While lower spending and local control might sound good in theory, in practice, it will almost certainly lead to even bigger disparities in the quality of education between the “haves” and “have nots.” That’s because across the board, a central component of Project 2025 is not just cutting wasteful spending, it’s cutting spending on public schools, public school teachers and public school children. In Brooklyn, many of our schools are already grappling with issues like overcrowding and underfunding, and Trump’s Project 2025 would mean giving schools even fewer resources. The plan also includes promoting "school choice," another proposal that may appear reasonable but in practice means siphoning public funds away from the public schools – like Districts 20 and 21 in my backyard – that need it most

On labor rights, Project 2025 calls for scaling back regulations that keep workers safe. Our city’s economy is built on the back of small businesses, freelancers and gig workers, many of whom will be directly impacted by these changes. The project's proposals to weaken unions and reduce workplace safety standards threaten to make jobs more dangerous. In industries like construction, hospitality and transportation, where many Brooklynites find employment, these protections are not just nice to have – they are essential. By reducing these safeguards, Project 2025 is a recipe for more accidents, lower wages and fewer benefits for our working-class residents.

And then there's the issue of immigration. Brooklyn is a sanctuary for immigrants from all over, and one of the truly unique characteristics of our communities is a vibrant blend of cultures and traditions that is unmatched anywhere else in the world. Project 2025 takes a radical stance on immigration enforcement. For example, it prioritizes deportation and mass arrests over all else, including effectively destroying the DACA program. Without DACA, countless Dreamers will likely be deported, even though they were brought to the United States as young children through no fault of their own and have been in the country for years or decades. In other words, Project 2025 would not only tear families apart, it will just as likely promote a climate of fear, distrust and even hate towards communities of color. It is particularly cruel that our neighbors who “yearn to live free” while living in the shadow of Lady Liberty, like the large immigrant communities in Bensonhurst, Coney Island and Bay Ridge, will suffer the most from Trump’s Project 2025.

A century ago, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt passed a “New Deal” for the American people that championed the working class; today, thanks to Project 2025, Donald Trump is prepared to impose a “bad deal” on the American people that would effectively declare war on the middle class. That’s because Project 2025 isn't just a policy document; it's a blueprint for dismantling the social safety net and stripping away rights that many of us have fought hard to secure. It prioritizes the interests of the few over the many – in the process lining the pockets of the already wealthy and powerful MAGA zealots who drafted Project 2025 at the expense of ordinary people like you and me. For Brooklynites and working class New Yorkers across the city, Project 2025 spells disaster. When you hear people say, “Donald Trump is an existential threat to democracy,” that danger is not abstract. The threat is imminent and it means your health, your family and your job are all at risk in a second Trump administration. 

As we approach the next election, it's crucial to recognize the stakes. This is not just another election cycle; it's a pivotal moment that will determine the future of our city and country. And if anyone says to you that “all politicians are the same” or “the president doesn’t really affect our everyday lives,” tell them about Project 2025. Tell them this election is about rejecting the dystopian future that Project 2025 and a Trump administration represent, and instead choosing the candidate who will actually protect and improve access to health care, ensure quality education for our children, safeguard workers' rights and stand up for our immigrant neighbors. 

We must make our voices heard and vote like our lives depend on it – because for many of us, they do. Let's stand together, vote with purpose and build a future that includes everyone.

Justin Brannan is a member of the New York City Council representing District 47 in Bay Ridge TKTK.