It's Not “Project 2025”, It's “Common Sense”!

Seizing the Moment for Reform

The ongoing government shutdown, triggered by Democrats' refusal to pass a continuing resolution, presents President Trump with a golden opportunity to enact long-overdue reforms. Critics deride these ideas as "Project 2025," but they represent nothing more than common sense in the face of a bloated federal bureaucracy that drains resources and stifles innovation. With departments unfunded and operations halted, now is the ideal time to cut the size and scope of government significantly. The founders never envisioned a federal leviathan employing millions and amassing trillions in debt. President Trump should wield his Article II powers to initiate wholesale reductions, eliminating unnecessary departments and agencies. This action aligns with historical precedents and addresses the crushing national debt, ensuring a leaner government when funding resumes.

The Bloated Bureaucracy: A Far Cry from Founders' Vision

The federal government has ballooned to proportions unimaginable to the framers of the Constitution. As of 2025, the civilian federal workforce stands at approximately 2.4 million employees, excluding the Postal Service, which adds another 600,000. This massive apparatus oversees everything from environmental regulations to education subsidies, far exceeding the limited roles outlined in Article I, Section 8. The national debt, fueled by this expansion, has soared to over $37 trillion, burdening future generations with unsustainable obligations. James Madison warned in Federalist No. 45 that federal powers should remain "few and defined," yet today's bureaucracy intrudes into state and local affairs, creating inefficiencies and redundancies.

This growth exploded post-World War II, with agencies proliferating under progressive administrations. The result is a system where unelected bureaucrats wield immense power, often contrary to elected officials' mandates. Public trust in government has plummeted to 33 percent, reflecting frustration with this unaccountable behemoth. Common sense dictates pruning this overgrowth to restore fiscal sanity and constitutional balance.

The Shutdown Opportunity: Perfect Timing for Cuts

Democrats' vote against the budget reconciliation bill has forced the shutdown, leaving non-essential functions idle and departments without funding. This impasse creates a vacuum ideal for executive action. With no appropriations in place, there is little immediate congressional pushback, allowing President Trump to commence reductions without the usual budgetary battles. Once departments are streamlined or eliminated, future funding debates will center on a smaller entity, forcing lawmakers to confront reality.

This strategy echoes the aims of Project 2025, which seeks to dismantle unnecessary bureaucracy through executive orders and workforce reductions. Critics label it radical, but it is practical: the shutdown enables "reduction in force" notices, slashing positions en masse. By year's end, projections suggest 300,000 fewer federal workers, a step toward efficiency. In this unfunded state, cuts are not just feasible; they are imperative to prevent further debt accumulation amid economic pressures.

Executive Powers Under Article II: The Legal Foundation

Article II vests the executive power in the President, granting authority to execute laws faithfully and manage the branch's operations. While Congress establishes agencies, the President holds reorganization powers under statutes like the Reorganization Act of 1977, allowing proposals to consolidate or eliminate functions, subject to congressional veto (though limited by Chadha ruling). In shutdown scenarios, executive orders can commence reductions, as seen in recent actions continuing bureaucracy cuts.

Precedents affirm this: In Myers v. United States (1926), the Supreme Court upheld the President's illimitable removal power over executive officers, enabling workforce reshaping. Though Humphrey's Executor (1935) protected independent agencies, core departments remain under presidential control. Trump has issued orders reducing federal elements deemed unnecessary, leveraging Article II to bypass gridlock. Without funding, no statutory barrier hinders slashing registries, as appropriations debates become moot.

Historical Precedent

History provides ample examples of presidents trimming government fat. Andrew Jackson in 1829 cut 20 percent of the federal workforce, replacing spoils with loyalists but demonstrating executive pruning capacity. Ronald Reagan in 1981 enacted significant spending cuts and tax reductions, reversing growth trends. Bill Clinton, declaring "the era of big government is over," reduced the workforce by hundreds of thousands through buyouts and reforms, the only post-WWII president to shrink it substantially in peacetime.

Richard Nixon attempted agency dismantling, setting precedents for executive-led reforms. Trump's first term saw efforts to downsize, and his 2025 actions build on this, with DOGE accelerating eliminations in diversity and other programs. These instances show that bold cuts restore efficiency, countering debt spirals like the $1.4 trillion deficit under Bush.

Why Common Sense Prevails

Opponents claim such cuts endanger services, but redundancy abounds: overlapping agencies in education, energy, and environment waste billions. Project 2025's blueprint targets these, proposing terminations of up to a million positions to eliminate bias and inefficiency. Legal challenges may arise, but precedents like Seila Law v. CFPB (2020) affirm presidential oversight over agencies. The shutdown weaponizes reform, forcing a reckoning with fiscal reality.

Act Now for a Stronger Republic

President Trump must act swiftly, using the shutdown to implement common-sense cuts that Project 2025 outlines. By slashing departments and reducing the bureaucracy, he honors the founders' vision, alleviates debt, and streamlines government. When Congress reconvenes, they will face a leaner entity, compelling responsible funding. This is not extremism; it is prudence. Delay risks further economic peril. Embrace this moment to reclaim a government of limited powers, for the people and by the people.