By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
CONCORD – The Republican’s Project 2025 plan, which would reshape the federal government if Donald Trump and JD Vance are elected president and vice president, was criticized by disability rights advocates and those concerned with retaining the current Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act Monday.
Not only would it be bad for those who rely on those services, it would be bad for the economy, speakers said.
The political organization Protect Our Care held a press conference on the State House lawn at noon with state Sen. Rebecca Whitley, D-Hopkinton, Zandra Rice Hawkins of Granite State Progress, and Lisa Beaudoin, former executive director of ABLE NH and Forrest Beaudoin-Friede, a disability rights advocate.
Beaudoin-Friede said he is “living the American dream. “I have a robust, community-based life because of Medicaid” funding which allows him to live independently with some help, work, volunteer and live in New Hampshire “instead of being in an institution.”
Whitley, an attorney and former disability rights advocate who withdrew from the race for Congress in District 2 but is finishing out her term, said Project 2025 would kick 38 million children off Medicaid and impact millions of seniors and low income workers and take millions of dollars from the state’s economy, as premium costs would go up and negatively impact businesses that rely on workers but cannot necessarily afford to pay them health care benefits.
She said it’s the Democrat’s job to provide a vision “of what we would rather see” which would include standing up to the pharmaceutical industry and reducing drug costs, not taking a “lifeline” away.
Hawkins said “the good news is that voters have the power” in this election and can ask questions of the candidates on what they think of Project 2025.
Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts is considered the author of the blueprint which looks at reshaping the executive branch to be more in keeping with Trump’s vision, though he has said he knows nothing about it and has distanced himself from it in some cases.
It looks at not only reshaping health care but energy, immigration, nuclear policy, national security, defunding the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, abortion and gender identity issues to be more in keeping with hardline conservative Republican principles.
Speakers discussed how MAGA Republican lawmakers and their allies continue to threaten to repeal the Affordable Care Act, while also working to dismantle reproductive care, hike premiums, slash Medicare and Medicaid, reverse recent coverage gains, and raise prescription drug costs on Granite Staters.
“Healthcare costs are already too high in New Hampshire,” said Whitley.
“If Trump and his MAGA allies take power, these costs will only increase. This is the absolute wrong direction. We’ve worked hard in New Hampshire, in a bipartisan way, to expand access to health care for Granite Staters, including Medicaid expansion, support for new moms and babies, mental health services, and support and services for individuals with disabilities. We cannot go backwards and decimate the progress made here in New Hampshire. That’s what will happen if Trump and his MAGA Allies take power and can implement their Project 2025 agenda.”
Lisa Beaudoin said, “The disability community needs candidates who recognize our basic human right to health care. And our economy can’t withstand the disruption of our healthcare system being thrown into chaos. The lives of people I love depend on, my well-being depends on Americans saying to Trump and his minions. ‘No, thank you, we’re done with weirdness and chaos, we’re leaning into loving our neighbors by protecting their healthcare and more robustly funding it.’”
