Where do Trump's $5 trillion 'Big Beautiful' tax cut bill and Project 2025 align?

Trump's 'big beautiful bill'

The U.S. House is working to push President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill," which would do things like make his 2017 tax cuts permanent. But not all House Republicans seem to be on board.

LOS ANGELES - Congress is working to push President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill," which includes more than $5 trillion in tax cuts.

What we know:

The polarizing bill has drawn sharp reactions from both sides, with Speaker Mike Johnson (R) scrambling to get the bill moved to Senate by Memorial Day and Hakeem Jeffries (D) pushing back and calling the bill "extreme and toxic," according to a report from the Associated Press.

The bill lives up to its "big" nickname as it spans 1,116 pages. As Trump incorporates all these tax breaks, spending cuts and changes to national security – all mentioned at some point during his 2024 campaign trail – one may wonder if elements from Project 2025 are incorporated into Trump's proposed bill.

What is Project 2025? 

Project 2025 is an initiative that was coordinated by a conservative group, the Heritage Foundation. The project aims to reshape the federal government with Trump and the Heritage Foundation's visions. Like the "big" bill, Project 2025's ideals and proposed changes are explained in a 1,000-plus page document.

Major changes proposed by Project 2025 included the following: Firing up to 50,000 federal workers and replacing them with conservative candidates; Signing executive orders that would make it easier to fire federal workers; Overhaulting the Department of Justice (DOJ) and having more control of the FBI; And ending DEI initiatives in the Pentagon and bringing back service members who were previously fired over the COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

In addition to proposed changes for government employees, Project 2025 also aimed to shake up the civil rights of American citizens by implementing conservative agenda that could lead to stricter abortion laws, reduced support for LGBTQ+ rights and rolling back DEI programs.

The backstory:

Over the course of the 2024 Presidential run, Trump himself distanced himself from the project, saying he knew "nothing" about Project 2025.

Fast-forward to weeks after Trump's Inuaguration – a handful of pitched ideas ended up becoming executive orders in real life, including eliminating some of the DEI programs and firing thousands of federal workers.

Where do Trump's big bill and Project 2025 align?

While Trump never publicly acknowledged Project 2025 and made any comments about the conservative initiative impacting his policies, more than a dozen changes proposed by the "big bill" aligned with the wishlist published by the Heritage Foundation.

Below is a list of changes that fit with both Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" and Project 2025:

• Health care: Trump's plan targets Medicaid as it introduces work requirements for those wanting to stay in the program while Project 2025 aims to push 33 million people enrolled in original Medicare, a public option, to switch to Medicare Advantage, a private option. Both plans look to change how Americans access public health care options. 
• Tax cuts: Trump's plan focuses on individual and business tax cuts and Project 2025 provides substantial tax cuts for wealthy households and corporations.
• Changes to food assistance: Trump's plan introduces work requirements for Americans wanting to stay in the food assistance programs. Project 2025 proposed limiting access. Trump's plan also involves increased state responsibility for SNAP costs.
• Abortion: Both Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" and Project 2025 align in their efforts to restrict access to abortion services, with Trump's plan prohibiting Medicaid funds for Planned Parenthood and Project 2025 aiming to restrict access to medication abortion.
• Student loans: Trump's proposal includes a tax on university endowments, while Project 2025 focuses on denying student loans based on state policies. Project 2025 aims to deny loans in states and in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants. Trump's plan also proposes an overhaul on repayment option.

For more information on Trump's big bill, click here.

Those looking to read into more information on Project 2025 can click here.