The Cabinetry Continues (4)

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Russ Vought – the (B)OMB guy

Well, now, it’s much easier to approach Mr. Trump’s pick for Office of Management and Budget (OMB) than the others. Why? Because the nominee himself wrote the book on OMB! That is to say, in Project 2025, he authored the plan for how the next conservative administration should handle OMB – and I’ve read Project 2025, so I simply need to review. Therefore, rather than begin with biographical information, as I usually do, let’s first have a quick summary of what Russ Vought prescribed in his little section of the 922-page mandate for leadership.

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This is the Cabinet??? (3)

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Hegseth for Defense: absolutely terrifying!

His selection for this leadership role makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? He’s talked a lot on television for the past ten years, and he’s been involved in conservative politics all his adult life. Oh, and he did serve in the National Guard, and he was executive director of two veteran-support organizations – uh... two political veterans organizations – sorry. This Trump cabinet pick, beyond all the others I’ve researched so far, is beyond ridiculous; this one will keep me awake at night.

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Crazy Cabinet Maker (2)

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Linda McMahon – I’m wrestling with this pick

I’m not a wrestling fan, although I was as a child. I remember those rare, late-night sessions in front of our little black-and-white TV with my brother and sister, watching “wrestling” that was more clown-show than sport. Other than that, I haven’t followed wrestling on any level, and I’d never heard of Linda McMahon until she was nominated to take over the Department of Education. As a long-time teacher and current School Board trustee, I was keenly interested in learning her background and philosophy. I had no idea she was a wrestler! And even older than me! And never a classroom teacher! Oh, my. I began reading...

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A Cabinet Maker Gone Wild?

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Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. – a roller coaster ride!

Well! Having spent most of my summer immersed in Project 2025, believing it might soon be water under the bridge, and, in particular, having spent a few weeks with the conservative mandate’s plans for Health and Human Services (HHS), I was astonished at Donald Trump’s pick for HHS Secretary. Stunned!  

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“We’re Eating Ourselves to Death!”

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That is the terrifying conclusion of Casey Means, author of Good Energy: the surprising connection between metabolism and limitless health. This book was recommended to me by my optometrist, of all people! I was simply in for my annual eye checkup, and we got to talking about holistic health, and before the end of the day, I was immersed in yet another life-changing book – and this one, I am convinced, you must read.

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Menu – Project 2025

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Help yourself! It’s all good. Just choose a starting point and click.

Appetizers

Main Course

Desserts -

Here in the Speakeasy, YOU decide

where to start & when to stop.

Project 2025: Small Business Administration (SBA)

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As always, let’s begin with an introduction to the author. Karen Kerrigan has served as president and CEO of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship (SBE) Council since 1994, and is a founder of Women Entrepreneurs, Inc. She regularly testifies before Congress on key issues impacting small business and the economy. Per the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), Kerrigan has been appointed to numerous federal advisory boards, has presented at several Presidential economic summits, and has been called America’s “entrepreneurial envoy."

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Project 2025: Export-Import Bank (EXIM)

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[Let me lay all my cards on the table immediately: I didn’t even know this thing existed. But my inner nerd wanted to learn, so let’s get started.] We’ll start, as always, with the authors. Did you see that? Authors – plural! This is one of only two sections of Project 2025 that offers two opposing perspectives: EXIM should be abolished vs. EXIM should not be abolished. What fun! We’ll begin with the call to abolish EXIM, authored by Veronique de Rugy.

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Project 2025: The Disastrous Economic Consequences

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Project 2025 should be viewed as the Heritage Foundation’s transitional roadmap to socially and economically return America to the mid- 19th and early 20th centuries when there were no personal income or corporate taxes, no “job killing” business regulations, no labor laws, no worker or child labor protections, no social safety net programs such as Social Security and Medicare.  In other words, it was a period of unfettered classic capitalism on steroids.

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Project 2025: Department of the Interior

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With comments by Ken Stromborg, Ph.D., Wildlife Biologist

I have no personal expertise in the area of “the interior,” so I entered this section of the Mandate for Leadership with eyes wide open, ready to learn. For some reason, though, I found this chapter of Project 2025 particularly challenging. I am happy to report, however, that I had an expert by my side, and he will interject his comments as we go; I believe his perspective will clarify yours. Now I will summarize for you what I found, along with astute commentary by Dr. Ken Stromborg, Ph.D., certified Wildlife Biologist. Dr. Stromborg, a much-published scientist, served the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a Fish and Wildlife Biologist from 1985 to 2007; he served also as the Environmental Contaminants Specialist for Green Bay. Then he volunteered with the same agency at the Horicon Marsh from 2007 to 2013.  Now, let’s launch our summary.

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