DAY THREE

11.09.24

It’s difficult to predict the exact number of people who might die as a direct result of Project 2025, as its full impact will depend on the specific policies enacted and how they are implemented. Project 2025, a proposal from conservative think tanks, suggests significant cuts to federal spending, including areas like healthcare, social safety nets, and public assistance programs. These cuts could affect millions of Americans, particularly vulnerable groups such as those with chronic illnesses, low-income individuals, and the elderly.

Here are some potential risks:

1. Health Care Cuts

• Medicaid: Significant reductions in Medicaid could lead to millions of Americans losing access to essential healthcare. This includes people with chronic conditions, disabilities, or low incomes who rely on Medicaid for life-saving treatments, medications, and preventive care. For example, people with conditions like cancer, diabetes, or multiple sclerosis might see their treatments interrupted or unaffordable, potentially leading to worsened health outcomes or even death.

• Mental Health Services: Cuts to mental health funding could lead to inadequate access to care, exacerbating conditions like depression or suicide risk, which already have high mortality rates.

2. Social Safety Net Reductions

• Social Security and Disability Benefits: If cuts to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) occur, individuals who rely on these benefits could face increased hardship, including homelessness, malnutrition, and lack of access to critical medications and care, which could lead to preventable deaths.

3. Food Assistance Programs

• SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program): If cuts to food assistance programs like SNAP are made, food insecurity could rise, which is linked to higher rates of malnutrition, chronic disease, and death. Vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly, and those with disabilities, are particularly at risk.

4. Housing and Homelessness

• Affordable Housing: Cuts to housing assistance programs, such as Section 8, could worsen the homelessness crisis. People experiencing homelessness are at a much higher risk for premature death due to exposure, violence, and lack of access to healthcare.

5. Environmental and Safety Protections

• Environmental Regulations: If Project 2025 leads to weakening of environmental protections (such as those aimed at clean air, water, and climate change), it could result in an increase in pollution-related illnesses (e.g., respiratory conditions, cancers), which could lead to premature deaths, particularly in vulnerable communities.

Conclusion:

While it’s impossible to quantify precisely how many deaths could result from Project 2025, the overall impact on public health could be significant, especially among vulnerable populations. The reductions in healthcare, social services, food assistance, housing, and environmental protections could create conditions where preventable deaths become more common due to lack of access to care, basic needs, and life-saving interventions.

It's important to note that many of these potential consequences would depend on the specific policies implemented and whether state-level protections (such as those in California) could mitigate some of the effects.