Letters: Project 2025 Is Here, Senator McCormick’s Shameful Vote for Tulsi Gabbard, Call Your Elected Representatives on Valentine’s Day, and Trump Sells Out Farmers

Project 2025 Is Here with Trump

During the presidential campaign, polls showed that Americans overwhelmingly opposed Project 2025, the radical plan to dismantle large parts of the U.S. government. Candidate Donald Trump tried to distance himself from Project 2025, claiming he hadn’t even read it.

I wrote a letter to the editor about the subject in October, predicting that if Donald Trump were elected he likely would reverse his stated position, and would implement policies that most Americans opposed. Just hours after he was sworn in, Trump started signing presidential directives to carry out major parts of Project 2025.

Since then, Trump has ruthlessly carried out the Project 2025 playbook. He installed the former head of Project 2025 as the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) – one of the most powerful positions in the federal government. He purged career civil servants and replaced them with Trump loyalists who have little experience in the agencies they will now lead. His administration is rapidly gutting agencies, consolidating power, and silencing dissent.

Less than half of American voters chose Trump, who beat Harris in the popular vote by only 1.5%. If Trump had been honest about his plan to implement the extremely unpopular Project 2025, there’s a very strong chance that he would have lost the election.

Americans are just beginning to feel the pain of Project 2025. Trump has set Elon Musk, an unelected billionaire, and a team of twenty-somethings “Muskovites” without security clearances to break into federal computer systems, including at the Department of the Treasury. He has shuttered the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which has saved Americans billions of dollars by stopping fraud by credit card companies and others – Trump and Musk, who both have financial stakes in such companies, stand to make billions. They have fired thousands of federal workers without even finding out what they do.

In the months ahead, residents of Pennsylvania and the rest of the country will see less funding for education, higher prices, and a federal government that is more loyal to Donald Trump than to the American people or the U.S. Constitution. We will feel the pain of Trump’s shameless bait-and-switch.

Rick Thomas, Lewisburg

Senator McCormick’s Shameful Vote for Tulsi Gabbard

Senator Dave McCormick recently said, “In a world as dangerous as ours, America needs the strongest possible leadership at the CIA.” Shockingly, he then voted to confirm Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence – the top intelligence official in the United States.

Tulsi Gabbard has repeatedly undermined America’s security interests by echoing Russian propaganda and blaming the United States and NATO for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Gabbard met twice privately with former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, who massacred thousands of his own people, including children, with chemical weapons. And she has refused to call Edward Snowden – the former U.S. intelligence contractor who leaked thousands of classified documents before becoming a Russian citizen – a traitor.

Gabbard, who was confirmed by the Senate this week, will now have full access to the nation’s most highly classified information and will advise the President on national security strategy. It’s not as if Senators like McCormick hadn’t been warned. More than 100 former national security officials wrote a public letter opposing Gabbard’s nomination, citing her history of aligning with foreign adversaries, and pointing out that she would be the least experienced Director of National Intelligence since the position was created. McCormick voted for her anyway. In a world as dangerous as ours, we need the strongest possible Director of National Intelligence. Does our new Pennsylvania Senator, Dave McCormick, really think that Tulsi Gabbard is that person?

Dr. Joan Moreau, Lewisburg

Call Your Elected Representatives on Valentine’s Day

Here’s a Valentine’s Day Resolution:  call your legislators. Let them know that you love, or are dismayed by, their policies. 

Elected officials work for you, even if you did not vote for them.  That’s how representative government works!  

When you call, consider using the “4 B’s” approach: 

1.   Be prepared.  Write brief notes to yourself which you can consult during the call.  

2.   Be specific.  A “kitchen sink” list of complaints is less effective than mentioning 1-2 issues you support or dislike. 

3.   Be sure to include why you are personally interested in the topic.

And the fourth, most important “B”:

4.   Be polite but be persistent.  

If you call outside of business hours, leave a message, including your name, address, zip code, and phone number.   Search the DC, Harrisburg, or local phone numbers of your mayor, senator, supervisor, House representative, council or school board member.  Put those numbers in your phone. Use them often.  (The White House comment number:   202-456-1111:  Tues-Thurs 11am-3pm, no message option).

Elected officials need to know that voters are paying attention.  Call them if you support or disagree!

Kathleen O’Connell, Lemont

Why Federal Courts Are Unlikely to Save Democracy from Trump’s & Musk’s Attacks | With a Supreme Court that has moved sharply to the right, coupled with the Trump Administration's breakneck pace of actions & its recent statements challenging judicial authority, a robust political strategy is needed — Bucks County Beacon (@buckscountybeacon.bsky.social) 2025-02-13T12:22:41.630Z

Trump Sells Out Farmers

Farmers know how drought, floods and late spring freezes devastate crops. Their hard work is increasingly challenged by climate change. Now there’s erratic policy direction from President Trump.

To help farmers make infrastructure investments to mitigate climate challenges, the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act offered them funds through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Farmers signed contracts and paid up front knowing that the federal government would cover some of their costs. 

Now, however, according to the Washington Post (Feb. 10), President Trump has frozen reimbursement payments, leaving farmers financially liable. Halting disbursements of federal funding, negotiated and approved by Congress, is unconstitutional, so Trump’s action is being challenged in court.

National Farmers Union President Rob Larew said “Freezing spending and making sweeping decisions without congressional oversight just adds more uncertainty to an already tough farm economy.”

The Iowa Soybean Association reported the suspension of USDA payments for a $95 million, five-year conservation grant benefiting 1,000 farms that produce corn, soybeans, wheat and sugar beets in 12 Midwestern states.

Opening a House Agriculture Committee hearing on February 11, 2025, Chair “GT” Thompson (R-PA 15), said: “Our nation’s food security depends on strong agricultural policy that provides stability for America’s farmers and ranchers; protects our land and natural resources; develops new trade opportunities while leveling the playing field for our producers; strengthens rural communities; and helps Americans access nutritious foods.”

Crushing support for farmers is not a strong agricultural policy. On this issue, Mr. Thompson is silent.

Carolyn Coldren, Lewisburg