House Democrats are intensifying their demands for transparency from the Heritage Foundation, specifically targeting the organization’s controversial Project 2025. The project, a sweeping far-right agenda designed to reshape the federal government, has come under fire for its secrecy—particularly around its so-called “Fourth Pillar,” which remains undisclosed to the public.
On Tuesday, 38 Democratic members of Congress, led by Reps. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), sent a letter to Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts, urging him to release the details of the Fourth Pillar. The letter highlights the growing concern that this unrevealed part of the project could contain the most radical and dangerous aspects of the agenda, which could have profound impacts on the American government and its citizens.
“You have conspicuously declined to publish or disclose any of the prioritized early actions that we believe would obviously be the most important parts of Project 2025,” the letter reads. “The immediate executive orders, emergency declarations, presidential directives, and other measures are likely to have profound impacts on the American people and their government. Therefore, we believe it is overwhelmingly in the public interest for you to actually keep your ‘open book’ promise by disclosing the ‘Fourth Pillar’ of Project 2025, and we hope you’ll consider explaining why, unlike the first three pillars, you have been keeping it secret for so long.”
Project 2025, launched by the Heritage Foundation with contributions from over 110 conservative groups and at least 140 former Trump administration officials, outlines a vision for a drastic reorganization of the federal government. The known components of the project include plans to dismantle worker protections, accelerate the privatization of Medicare, abolish the Department of Education, and impose severe cuts to climate regulations.
The first three pillars of Project 2025 have already raised alarms among progressives and moderates alike for their potential to reverse decades of social progress and regulatory safeguards. However, it is the Fourth Pillar that has drawn the most suspicion due to its secrecy. Described vaguely on Project 2025’s website as a “180-day Transition Playbook,” this section is believed to contain a detailed plan of actions to be taken in the first six months of a new administration—actions that could include sweeping executive orders and other measures with little to no oversight.
The controversy surrounding Project 2025 is further amplified by its apparent ties to Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. Despite Trump’s public disavowal of any knowledge of the project—calling it “seriously extreme” at a rally in July—many of his current and former advisors are directly involved in crafting the agenda. Notably, Russell Vought, who served as Trump’s Director of the Office of Management and Budget, is a key architect of Project 2025 and is rumored to be in line for a high-ranking position should Trump return to the White House.
This connection has led to widespread speculation that the Fourth Pillar of Project 2025 could serve as a blueprint for a second Trump administration, enabling the rapid implementation of far-right policies with minimal legislative input. Analysts at the Center for American Progress Action have noted the significant overlap between Project 2025 and Trump’s campaign platform, Agenda47, suggesting that many of the more extreme proposals that were stymied during Trump’s first term could be revived and pushed through under the guise of Project 2025.
The push for transparency has not been limited to Democratic lawmakers. Progressive advocacy groups and political commentators have also voiced their concerns, calling for greater scrutiny of the Heritage Foundation’s role in shaping a potential future administration. The American public, too, has begun to take notice. Recent polling data shows that as more details of Project 2025 emerge, its popularity has plummeted, with a growing number of Americans expressing fear that the project represents a direct threat to democracy.
Despite this, Republican lawmakers have largely remained silent on the issue, with none signing onto the letter demanding the release of the Fourth Pillar. The Heritage Foundation has yet to respond to the letter or provide any indication that they will disclose the contents of the Fourth Pillar. Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation, has previously hinted that the reason for keeping this section under wraps is that it is “too controversial for the public to see.” This has only fueled further speculation about the radical nature of the plans contained within.
As one of the most influential conservative think tanks in the United States, the Heritage Foundation has long played a pivotal role in shaping Republican policy. Its involvement in Project 2025 is seen by many as an attempt to institutionalize a far-right agenda that could fundamentally alter the fabric of American society. Critics argue that by withholding key information about the project’s full scope, the Heritage Foundation is undermining democratic principles and the public’s right to know what their government is planning.
In their letter, the lawmakers assert, “If we are wrong about that—if your secret ‘Fourth Pillar’ of Project 2025 is actually a defensible, responsible, and constitutional action plan for the first days of a second Trump presidency—then we hope you will publish it, without edits or redaction. Allow the American people to see it and scrutinize it.”
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