Save Our Sequoias Act

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Bill ID: 119/hr/2709
Last Updated: September 7, 2026

Sponsored by

Rep. Fong, Vince [R-CA-20]

ID: F000480

Follow the money

The bill

Save Our Sequoias Act

HR. 2709, 119th Congress — read as touching Construction & Engineering.

The sponsor

Rep. Fong, Vince [R-CA-20]

Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.

The money

$69,300 raised

21 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.

The alignment

70% match to Project 2025

This bill's text tracks the "Department of Agriculture" section, p. 341-343 of the Mandate for Leadership.

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

March 16, 2026

Introduced

Committee Review

Floor Action

Passed House

Senate Review

📍 Current Status

Next: Both chambers must agree on the same version of the bill.

🎉

Passed Congress

🖊️

Presidential Action

⚖️

Became Law

📚 How does a bill become a law?

1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.

2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.

3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.

4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.

5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.

6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.

7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!

Bill Summary

Another bill, another exercise in futility. Let's dissect this mess.

**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The Save Our Sequoias Act (HR 2709) claims to aim at improving the health and resiliency of giant sequoias. How noble. In reality, it's a thinly veiled attempt to justify more bureaucratic meddling in forest management under the guise of environmentalism.

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill creates a plethora of new definitions, committees, and programs, because what we really need is more administrative bloat. It establishes a shared stewardship agreement between various government agencies and the State of California, which will undoubtedly lead to more inefficiencies and conflicting interests.

Section 3 requires the Secretary of the Interior to enter into an agreement with the Governor of California and the Tule River Indian Tribe to manage giant sequoias jointly. Because nothing says "effective management" like a committee of bureaucrats and politicians making decisions based on competing interests.

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The usual suspects are involved: government agencies, environmental groups, logging companies, and Native American tribes. Each will likely have their own agendas and conflicting priorities, ensuring that the bill's objectives are muddled from the start.

**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a classic case of "solution in search of a problem." The real issue is not the health of giant sequoias but rather the bureaucratic stranglehold on forest management. By creating more red tape and committees, this bill will likely:

1. Increase costs for taxpayers due to additional administrative burdens. 2. Stifle effective forest management practices by introducing more conflicting interests and regulations. 3. Provide a smokescreen for politicians to claim they're doing something about environmental issues while actually accomplishing little.

In short, HR 2709 is a textbook example of legislative theater: a feel-good bill that will accomplish nothing but provide a PR boost for its sponsors. The real disease here is the chronic inability of our government to address actual problems rather than just creating more bureaucratic noise.

Related Topics

Public Lands & Natural ResourcesState & Local Government AffairsWater & Air Quality Regulations
Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (Dr. Haus personality)

💰 Campaign Finance Network

Rep. Fong, Vince [R-CA-20]

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$69,300
17 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$3,300
Committees
$0
Individuals
$66,000

No PAC contributions found

1
TULE RIVER TRIBAL COUNCIL
1 transaction
$3,300

No committee contributions found

1
ROJEWSKI, COLE
2 transactions
$6,600
2
EKEGREN, JONATHAN
2 transactions
$6,600
3
HAYDE, MICHAEL K.
2 transactions
$6,600
4
KHOURI, LAURA A.
2 transactions
$6,600
5
ANDERSON, DARIUS
1 transaction
$3,300
6
LEPRINO, TERRY
1 transaction
$3,300
7
HUNTER, KEN
1 transaction
$3,300
8
BAND MIWOK INDIANS, SHINGLE SPRINGS
1 transaction
$3,300
9
MOJIBI, AMANDA
1 transaction
$3,300
10
MOJIBI, CYRUS
1 transaction
$3,300
11
BECK, PATRICK
1 transaction
$3,300
12
SINGH, MATAB
1 transaction
$3,300
13
LAZZERINI, JR., WILLIAM
1 transaction
$3,300
14
LAZZERINI, VICTORIA
1 transaction
$3,300
15
PANKEY, MONA
1 transaction
$3,300
16
PANKEY, PETE
1 transaction
$3,300

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

This bill has 10 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.

Rep. Peters, Scott H. [D-CA-50]

ID: P000608

Top Contributors

22

1
SYCUAN BAND OF THE KUMEYAAY NATION
OrganizationEL CAJON, CA
$3,300
Apr 19, 2024
2
SYCUAN BAND OF THE KUMEYAAY NATION
OrganizationEL CAJON, CA
$3,300
Apr 21, 2023
3
ARISON, MADELEINE
N/A • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualCORAL GABLES, FL
$3,300
Oct 27, 2023
4
ARISON, MICKY
CARNIVAL CRUISE • CHAIRMAN
IndividualCORAL GABLES, FL
$3,300
Oct 27, 2023
5
EMERSON, LANGSTON
MINDSET • POLICY ADVISOR LOBBYIST
IndividualWASHINGTON, DC
$3,300
Oct 18, 2023
6
EPSTEIN, DANIEL J.
CONAM • REAL ESTATE EXECUTIVE
IndividualSAN DIEGO, CA
$3,300
Dec 20, 2023
7
GATES, WILLIAM H III
BREAKTHROUGH ENERGY • PHILANTHROPIST
IndividualREDMOND, WA
$3,300
Oct 19, 2023
8
GONZALEZ, JOHN MICHAEL
TIBER CREEK GROUP • PARTNER
IndividualWASHINGTON, DC
$3,300
Dec 13, 2023
9
LINDEN, LAWRENCE
N/A • RETIRED
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$3,300
Nov 24, 2023
10
LINDEN, LAWRENCE
N/A • RETIRED
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$3,300
Nov 24, 2023

Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-21]

ID: C001059

Top Contributors

28

1
TABLE MOUNTAIN RANCHERIA
OrganizationFRIANT, CA
$3,300
Oct 30, 2023
2
EASTERN BAND OF CHEROKEE INDIANS
OrganizationCHEROKEE, NC
$3,300
Sep 18, 2024
3
JJF SP TRUST
OrganizationSAN FRANCISCO, CA
$3,300
Sep 30, 2024
4
SAN JOAQUIN RIVER RANCH
OrganizationFRESNO, CA
$3,300
Jun 30, 2023
5
SALT RIVER PIMA MARICOPA INDIAN COMMUNITY
OrganizationSCOTTSDALE, AZ
$1,000
Jul 31, 2023
6
MORONGO BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationBANNING, CA
$1,000
Sep 8, 2023
7
SANTA YNEZ BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationSANTA YNEZ, CA
$1,000
May 19, 2023
8
CHAPPELL-MCLULLAR TRUST
OrganizationHONOLULU, HI
$500
Mar 2, 2024
9
ARK, MANDEEP
SELF EMPLOYED • INTERPRETER
IndividualFRESNO, CA
$6,500
Aug 14, 2024
10
AFZAL, TEHMINA
SELF EMPLOYED • INTERPRETER
IndividualCHINO HILLS, CA
$6,500
Aug 14, 2024

Rep. Westerman, Bruce [R-AR-4]

ID: W000821

Top Contributors

70

1
PUEBLO OF LAGUNA
OrganizationLAGUNA, NM
$8,300
Aug 1, 2024
2
ONEIDA INDIAN NATION
OrganizationONEIDA, NY
$5,000
May 13, 2024
3
CHEROKEE NATION
OrganizationTAHLEQUAH, OK
$3,300
Dec 6, 2023
4
CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF SILETZ INDIANS
OrganizationSILETZ, OR
$3,300
Dec 27, 2023
5
SHINGLE SPRINGS BAND MIWOK INDIANS
OrganizationSHINGLE SPRINGS, CA
$3,300
Oct 26, 2023
6
SNOQUALMIE TRIBE
OrganizationSNOQUALMIE, WA
$3,300
Nov 10, 2023
7
CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE UMATILLA INDIAN RESERVATION
OrganizationPENDLETON, OR
$3,300
Jan 17, 2024
8
SAN MANUEL BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationLOS ANGELES, CA
$3,300
Feb 14, 2024
9
CATAWBA INDIAN NATION
OrganizationROCK HILL, SC
$3,300
Mar 31, 2024
10
NISQUALLY INDIAN TRIBE
OrganizationOLYMPIA, WA
$3,300
Mar 14, 2024

Rep. Webster, Daniel [R-FL-11]

ID: W000806

Top Contributors

20

1
SILVERMAN, JEFFREY
IndividualSURFSIDE, FL
$6,600
Apr 18, 2024
2
BRADLEY, JACQUELINE
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualKESWICK, VA
$6,600
Apr 15, 2024
3
SILVERMAN, JEFFREY
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualSURFSIDE, FL
$6,600
Feb 15, 2024
4
FILBURN, MARK
WHITESTONE CONSTRUCTION • PRESIDENT
IndividualLONGWOOD, FL
$3,400
Jun 26, 2024
5
FILBURN, MARK
IndividualLONGWOOD, FL
$3,400
Sep 4, 2024
6
ASNESS, CLIFF
AQR • EXECUTIVE
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$3,300
Jun 6, 2024
7
ASNESS, LAUREL
MARCUM LLP • EXECUTIVE
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$3,300
Jun 6, 2024
8
BEUCHER, NICK
CEO • TAVISTOCK FINANCIAL CORPORATION
IndividualORLANDO, FL
$3,300
May 28, 2024
9
BRADLEY, JACQUELINE
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualKESWICK, VA
$3,300
Apr 18, 2024
10
DEVORE, DEBBIE
SEA & SHORELINE • ACCOUNTANT
IndividualWINTER GARDEN, FL
$3,300
May 31, 2024

Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19]

ID: P000613

Top Contributors

28

1
ACROSS THE AISLE PAC
PACWASHINGTON, DC
$1,000
Jan 12, 2023
2
ACROSS THE AISLE PAC
PACWASHINGTON, DC
$500
Mar 23, 2023
3
FEDERATED INDIANS OF GRATON RANCHERIA
OrganizationROHNERT PARK, CA
$3,300
Apr 12, 2023
4
FEDERATED INDIANS OF GRATON RANCHERIA
OrganizationROHNERT PARK, CA
$3,300
Apr 12, 2023
5
MORONGO BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationBANNING, CA
$3,300
Apr 12, 2023
6
EASTERN BAND OF CHEROKEE INDIANS
OrganizationCHEROKEE, NC
$3,300
Oct 16, 2024
7
SYCUAN BAND OF THE KUMEYAAY NATION
OrganizationEL CAJON, CA
$2,500
Nov 9, 2023
8
MORONGO BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationBANNING, CA
$1,700
Apr 12, 2023
9
CROWN, LESTER
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualCHICAGO, IL
$6,600
Aug 9, 2024
10
KIM, SOON
IndividualSANTA CRUZ, CA
$4,300
Sep 30, 2024

Rep. Newhouse, Dan [R-WA-4]

ID: N000189

Top Contributors

29

1
THE CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE COLVILLE RESERVATION
OrganizationNESPELEM, WA
$5,000
Sep 27, 2024
2
THE CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE COLVILLE RESERVATION
OrganizationNESPELEM, WA
$3,300
Oct 6, 2023
3
PUYALLUP TRIBE OF INDIANS
OrganizationTACOMA, WA
$3,300
Jun 14, 2024
4
CHEROKEE NATION
OrganizationTAHLEQUAH, OK
$3,300
Oct 29, 2024
5
PUYALLUP TRIBE OF INDIANS
OrganizationTACOMA, WA
$2,900
Aug 11, 2023
6
SWINOMISH INDIAN TRIBAL COMMUNITY
OrganizationLA CONNER, WA
$2,000
Oct 22, 2024
7
CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE CHEHALIS RESERVATION
OrganizationOAKVILLE, WA
$2,000
Oct 1, 2024
8
SANTA YNEZ BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationSANTA YNEZ, CA
$1,000
Aug 30, 2023
9
PUYALLUP TRIBE OF INDIANS
OrganizationTACOMA, WA
$400
Jun 14, 2024
10
FAISON, JAY W. MR.
CLEAN PATH ACTION FUND FOR CONSERVATIV • CEO
IndividualCHARLOTTE, NC
$11,600
Jul 24, 2023

Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-8]

ID: G000559

Top Contributors

28

1
SAN PABLO LYTTON
OrganizationSAN PABLO, CA
$5,000
Aug 28, 2024
2
YOCHA DEHE WINTUN NATION
OrganizationBROOKS, CA
$3,300
Dec 18, 2023
3
YOCHA DEHE WINTUN NATION
OrganizationBROOKS, CA
$3,300
Dec 18, 2023
4
ONE LAKE HOLDING,LLC
OrganizationWALNUT CREEK, CA
$2,500
Nov 6, 2023
5
UNITED AUBURN INDIAN COMMUNITY OF AUBURN RANCHERIA
OrganizationSACRAMENTO, CA
$2,500
Oct 22, 2024
6
SAN PABLO LYTTON
OrganizationSAN PABLO, CA
$1,700
Aug 28, 2024
7
NAPA SOLANO BUILDING TRADES COUNCIL
OrganizationFAIRFIELD, CA
$1,500
May 13, 2024
8
BAINS FARMING LP
OrganizationYUBA CITY, CA
$1,000
May 15, 2024
9
GRUPE, GREENLAW JR.
THE GRUPE CO. • REAL ESTATE
IndividualLODI, CA
$5,800
Nov 7, 2023
10
HALL, CRAIG
HALL FINANCIAL GROUP • INVESTOR
IndividualFRISCO, TX
$3,683
Dec 5, 2023

Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22]

ID: V000129

Top Contributors

47

1
CHEROKEE NATION
OrganizationTAHLEQUAH, OK
$3,300
Oct 23, 2024
2
EASTERN BAND OF CHEROKEE INDIANS
OrganizationCHEROKEE, NC
$3,300
Nov 5, 2024
3
SANTA YNEZ BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationSANTA YNEZ, CA
$3,300
Dec 20, 2023
4
AK-CHIN INDIAN COMMUNITY
OrganizationMARICOPA, AZ
$3,300
Mar 31, 2023
5
MORONGO BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationBANNING, CA
$3,300
Feb 28, 2024
6
SANTA YNEZ BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationSANTA YNEZ, CA
$3,300
Feb 28, 2024
7
MORONGO BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationBANNING, CA
$3,300
May 25, 2023
8
THE CHICKASAW NATION
OrganizationADA, OK
$3,300
Jun 29, 2024
9
MOORETOWN RANCHERIA
OrganizationOROVILLE, CA
$3,300
Sep 26, 2024
10
PECHANGA BAND OF LUISENO INDIANS
OrganizationTEMECULA, CA
$3,300
Aug 16, 2024

Rep. Bishop, Sanford D. [D-GA-2]

ID: B000490

Top Contributors

23

1
TUNICA-BILOXI TRIBE OF LOUISIANA
OrganizationMANSURA, LA
$3,300
Dec 30, 2023
2
TUNICA-BILOXI TRIBE OF LOUISIANA
OrganizationMANSURA, LA
$2,500
Oct 30, 2024
3
MUSCOGEE CREEK NATION
OrganizationOKMULGEE, OK
$1,000
Oct 28, 2024
4
DAVIS, HENRY BART III
SELF-EMPLOYED • FARMER
IndividualDOERUN, GA
$3,300
Oct 21, 2024
5
DAVIS, HENRY BART JR
SELF-EMPLOYED • FARMER
IndividualDOERUN, GA
$3,300
Oct 21, 2024
6
DAVIS, JEDD ADAM
SELF-EMPLOYED • FARMER
IndividualDOERUN, GA
$3,300
Oct 21, 2024
7
DAVIS, PAULA
SELF EMPLOYED • FARMER
IndividualDOERUN, GA
$3,300
Oct 21, 2024
8
REDDING, ROBERT L. JR
THE REDDING FIRM • PRESIDENT
IndividualWASHINGTON, DC
$3,300
Oct 21, 2024
9
VECCHIARELLI, DANIEL A
LEPRINO FOODS • VICE CHAIRMAN
IndividualDENVER, CO
$3,300
Oct 28, 2024
10
BARNES, ROY E.
THE BARNES LAW GROUP LLC • ATTORNEY
IndividualMARIETTA, GA
$3,300
Oct 25, 2024

Rep. LaMalfa, Doug [R-CA-1]

ID: L000578

Top Contributors

25

1
CHEROKEE NATION
OrganizationTAHLEQUAH, OK
$3,300
Oct 31, 2024
2
AGUA CALIENTE BAND OF CAHUILLA INDIANS
OrganizationPALM SPRINGS, CA
$3,300
Sep 29, 2023
3
LEECH LAKE BAND OF OJIBWE
OrganizationCASS LAKE, MN
$2,000
Nov 4, 2024
4
VANN BROTHERS
UNINCORPORATED • PARTNERSHIP
OrganizationWILLIAMS, CA
$1,500
Jun 27, 2023
5
ONEIDA NATION
OrganizationONEIDA, WI
$1,000
Oct 31, 2024
6
SANTA ROSA RANCHERIA, .
SOVEREIGN NATION • INDIAN TRIBE
IndividualLEMORE, CA
$6,600
May 6, 2024
7
NECHAY, JULIA
N/A • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualROSEVILLE, CA
$5,000
Oct 26, 2024
8
OSAGE NATION, .
SOVEREIGN NATION • INDIAN TRIBE
IndividualPAWHUSKA, OK
$3,300
Oct 8, 2024
9
MCLAUGHLIN, RANDY
OLD DURHAM WOOD • ORCHARD TEMOVAL
IndividualDURHAM, CA
$3,300
Oct 13, 2024
10
CHOCTAW NATION OF OKLAHOMA, .
SOVEREIGN NATION • INDIAN TRIBE
IndividualDURANT, OK
$3,300
Oct 16, 2024

Donor Network - Rep. Fong, Vince [R-CA-20]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

Loading...

Showing 36 nodes and 43 connections

Total contributions: $43

Top Donors - Rep. Fong, Vince [R-CA-20]

Showing top 17 donors by contribution amount

1 Org16 Individuals

Industry Impact

Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 3 helped.

  • Section 6(3)(A) authorizes hazardous fuels management including mechanical thinning, mastication, and prescribed burning; Section 9(d)(3) funds facilities to store/process hazardous fuels; Section 11 amends stewardship contracting to include giant sequoia health projects—all creating work for construction/engineering firms.

  • +Labor Unionsconfidence 0.85

    Section 9(c)(2)(B) prioritizes grant recipients that 'create or support jobs, particularly in rural areas,' indicating intent to benefit labor through job creation in forestry and restoration work.

  • Section 9(b) allows grants to 'private organization' and Section 9(c)(2)(A) prioritizes small businesses; for-profit education firms could qualify as private organizations receiving grants for nursery capacity (Section 9(d)(4)) or Tribal management support, though less direct.

Project 2025 Policy Matches

This bill shows semantic similarity to the following sections of the Project 2025 policy document.AI-enhanced analysis provides detailed alignment ratings.

Department of Agriculture

Moderate
Vector: 63%
Pages: 341-343AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"Both the bill and the Project 2025 policy aim to improve forest resilience and address wildfire threats through proactive management, but the bill focuses on species‑specific conservation, reforestation, and stakeholder collaboration, whereas the policy emphasizes timber sales, thinning, biomass reduction, and regulatory reform to actively manage vegetation. The overlap is present but not direct."

Key themes:wildfire risk reductionforest healthproactive managementreforestationintergovernmental collaboration

— 308 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise Reform Forest Service Wildfire Management. The United States Forest Service is one of four federal government land management agencies that admin- ister 606 million acres, or 95 percent of the 640 million acres of surface land area managed by the federal government.115 Located within the USDA, the Forest Service manages the National Forest System, which is comprised of 193 million acres.116 As explained by the USDA, “The USDA Forest Service’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.”117 The Forest Service should focus on proactive management of the forests and grasslands that does not depend heavily on burning. There should be resilient forests and grasslands in the wake of management actions. Wildfires have become a primary vegetation management regime for national forests and grasslands.118 Recognizing the need for vegetation management, the Forest Service has adopted “pyro-silviculture” using “unplanned” fire,119 such as unplanned human-caused fires, to otherwise accomplish vegetation management.120 The Forest Service should instead be focusing on addressing the precipitous annual amassing of biomass in the national forests that drive the behavior of wildfires. By thinning trees, removing live fuels and deadwood, and taking other preventive steps, the Forest Service can help to minimize the consequences of wildfires. Increasing timber sales could also play an important role in the effort to change the behavior of wildfire because there would be less biomass. Timber sales and timber harvested in public forests dropped precipitously in the early 1990s and still remain very low. For example, in 1988, the volume of timber sold and harvested by volume was about 11 billion and 12.6 billion board feet (BBF), respectively.121 In 2021, timber sold was 2.8 BBF and timber harvested was 2.4 BBF. In 2018, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 13855 to, among other things, promote active management of forests and reduce wildfire risks.122 The executive order stated, “Active management of vegetation is needed to treat these dangerous conditions on Federal lands but is often delayed due to challenges associated with regulatory analysis and current consultation requirements.”123 It further explained the need to reduce regulatory obstacles to fuel reduction in forests created by the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act.124 The next Administration should: l Champion executive action, consistent with law, and proactive legislation to reduce wildfires. This would involve embracing Executive Order 13855, building upon it, and working with lawmakers to promote active management of vegetation, reduce regulatory obstacles to reducing fuel buildup, and increase timber sales. — 309 — Department of Agriculture Eliminate or Reform the Dietary Guidelines. The USDA, in collaboration with HHS, publishes the Dietary Guidelines every five years.125 For more than 40 years, the federal government has been releasing Dietary Guidelines,126 and during this time, there has been constant controversy due to questionable recommenda- tions and claims regarding the politicization of the process. In the 2015 Dietary Guidelines process, the influential Dietary Guidelines Advi- sory Committee veered off mission and attempted to persuade the USDA and HHS to adopt nutritional advice that focused not just on human health, but the health of the planet.127 Issues such as climate change and sustainability infiltrated the process. Fortunately, the 2020 process did not get diverted in this manner. How- ever, the Dietary Guidelines remain a potential tool to influence dietary choices to achieve objectives unrelated to the nutritional and dietary well-being of Americans. There is no shortage of private sector dietary advice for the public, and nutrition and dietary choices are best left to individuals to address their personal needs. This includes working with their own health professionals. As it is, there is constantly changing advice provided by the government, with insufficient qualifications on the advice, oversimplification to the point of miscommunicating important points, questionable use of science, and potential political influence. The Dietary Guidelines have a major impact because they not only can influence how private health providers offer nutritional advice, but they also inform federal programs. School meals are required to be consistent with the guidelines.128 The next Administration should: l Work with lawmakers to repeal the Dietary Guidelines. The USDA should help lead an effort to repeal the Dietary Guidelines. l Minimally, the next Administration should reform the Dietary Guidelines. The USDA, with HHS, should develop a more transparent process that properly considers the underlying science and does not overstate its findings. It should also ensure that the Dietary Guidelines focus on nutritional issues and do not veer off-mission by focusing on unrelated issues, such as the environment, that have nothing to do with nutritional advice. In fact, if environmental concerns supersede or water down recommendations for human nutritional advice, the public would be receiving misleading health information. The USDA, working with lawmakers, should codify these reforms into law. ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES Based on the recommended reforms identified as ideal solutions, the USDA would look different in many respects. One of the biggest changes would be a USDA that is not focused on welfare, given that means-tested welfare programs would

Environmental Protection Agency

Moderate
Vector: 62%
Pages: 473-475AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill emphasizes tribal partnership and environmental stewardship, which aligns with Project 2025's focus on elevating the American Indian Office and tribal grant management, but it does not address the EPA-specific reforms such as repealing Inflation Reduction Act grants, revising Environmental Justice/Title VI authority, or centralizing legal counsel."

Key themes:tribal collaborationenvironmental protectionshared stewardshipnatural resource management

— 440 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise l Repeal Inflation Reduction Act programs providing grants for environmental science activities. AMERICAN INDIAN OFFICE (AIO) AIO is a vital EPA function. It is mandated to carry out a 1992 act of Congress that administers the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program.51 Because of the sovereign-to-sovereign relationship between the U.S. government and fed- erally recognized sovereign Indian nations, this act’s purpose is to assist tribes in developing the capacity to manage their own tribal environmental protection programs and set them up to implement programs for the management of solid and hazardous waste. This office also is the chief office under which the EPA’s 1984 Indian Policy functions. Needed Reforms AIO should be significantly elevated as a stand-alone EPA Assistant Admin- istrator office. This would send a clear message to American Indians and Alaska Native Villages that the agency takes seriously the environmental issues plaguing Indian Country. While designated a “headquarters” office with direct reporting to the Administrator, its location should be in the American West, closer to most tribal nations. This could include Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Dallas, Texas; or Denver, Colorado. The state of Oklahoma is considered the tribal center of Amer- ica and is home to 39 federally recognized tribes, including the “Five Civilized Tribes.” The other two options are also close to numerous tribes and home to EPA regional offices. New Policies All EPA tribal grants and tribal matters should be run from this office as a one- stop-shop for all tribal affairs. Budget and Personnel AIO should be led by a politically appointed, Senate-confirmed Assistant Admin- istrator, ideally one with strong ties to a federally recognized tribe. He or she should have political deputies and staff to assist the political leadership in carrying out agency policies. Career EPA tribal staff are located throughout the nation in all regional offices but are paid mostly under the budget of the current Office of International and Tribal Affairs, which will be significantly restructured as international functions are reabsorbed into the appropriate media offices (for example, Air, Water, and Land and Emergency Management). Because of this, tribal staff should be fully under the authority of the new American Indian Office and its Assistant Admin- istrator, not the regional offices. — 441 — Environmental Protection Agency OFFICE OF GENERAL COUNSEL (OGC) OGC serves as the chief legal adviser to EPA’s policymaking officials. It also pro- vides legal support to regional actions and enforcement and compliance litigation. OGC lawyers represent the agency in court alongside the Department of Justice, typically defending agency actions. Needed Reforms and New Policies l Review EPA’s Environmental Justice and Title VI authority. Wherever possible, the Biden Administration is broadening EPA’s use and interpretation of Environmental Justice (EJ)52 and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 196453 beyond long-standing understandings of the legal limits of that authority. As a threshold matter, there is an opportunity to redefine EJ as a tool for the agency to prioritize environmental protection efforts and assistance to communities in proximity to pollution or with the greatest need for additional protection. Allocations of agency resources, increased EPA enforcement, and/or agency distribution of grants should be based on neutral constitutional principles. In 2023, the Supreme Court is expected to provide guidance on the constitutionality of race-based discrimination as it considers Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina.54 Accordingly, the next Administration should pause and review all ongoing EJ and Title VI actions to ensure that they are consistent with any forthcoming SCOTUS decision. l Establish a policy of legally speaking with one voice. Some EPA offices (for example, the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance and the Offices of Regional Counsel) assert legal positions and interpretations of the law that conflict with an Administration’s interpretation as articulated by OGC with input from program offices. It is unacceptable for the agency to have inconsistent legal positions, particularly with respect to key interpretative issues. All attorneys with authority to represent EPA—not necessarily all attorneys—should therefore be housed in OGC. These offices include: 1. The Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA). OECA was established during the Clinton Administration. Enforcement attorneys tend to take legal positions to win cases or obtain settlements that may be inconsistent with those of OGC and program offices. OECA attorneys should be moved into OGC. Additionally, non-attorney program staff in OECA could be moved into their relevant program offices (for example, the Clean Air Act Enforcement Advisor could

Department of Agriculture

Moderate
Vector: 62%
Pages: 341-343AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill shares the Project 2025 goal of improving forest resilience and reducing wildfire threats through coordinated management and reforestation, but it does not explicitly advocate for proactive fuel reduction, thinning, or increased timber sales that are central to the Policy 2025 prescription."

Key themes:wildfire risk reductionforest health and resiliencyinteragency collaborationemergency responsereforestation

— 308 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise Reform Forest Service Wildfire Management. The United States Forest Service is one of four federal government land management agencies that admin- ister 606 million acres, or 95 percent of the 640 million acres of surface land area managed by the federal government.115 Located within the USDA, the Forest Service manages the National Forest System, which is comprised of 193 million acres.116 As explained by the USDA, “The USDA Forest Service’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.”117 The Forest Service should focus on proactive management of the forests and grasslands that does not depend heavily on burning. There should be resilient forests and grasslands in the wake of management actions. Wildfires have become a primary vegetation management regime for national forests and grasslands.118 Recognizing the need for vegetation management, the Forest Service has adopted “pyro-silviculture” using “unplanned” fire,119 such as unplanned human-caused fires, to otherwise accomplish vegetation management.120 The Forest Service should instead be focusing on addressing the precipitous annual amassing of biomass in the national forests that drive the behavior of wildfires. By thinning trees, removing live fuels and deadwood, and taking other preventive steps, the Forest Service can help to minimize the consequences of wildfires. Increasing timber sales could also play an important role in the effort to change the behavior of wildfire because there would be less biomass. Timber sales and timber harvested in public forests dropped precipitously in the early 1990s and still remain very low. For example, in 1988, the volume of timber sold and harvested by volume was about 11 billion and 12.6 billion board feet (BBF), respectively.121 In 2021, timber sold was 2.8 BBF and timber harvested was 2.4 BBF. In 2018, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 13855 to, among other things, promote active management of forests and reduce wildfire risks.122 The executive order stated, “Active management of vegetation is needed to treat these dangerous conditions on Federal lands but is often delayed due to challenges associated with regulatory analysis and current consultation requirements.”123 It further explained the need to reduce regulatory obstacles to fuel reduction in forests created by the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act.124 The next Administration should: l Champion executive action, consistent with law, and proactive legislation to reduce wildfires. This would involve embracing Executive Order 13855, building upon it, and working with lawmakers to promote active management of vegetation, reduce regulatory obstacles to reducing fuel buildup, and increase timber sales.

Showing 3 of 5 policy matches

About These Correlations

Policy matches are calculated using a hybrid approach: initial candidates are found using semantic similarity between bill summaries and Project 2025 policy text, then an AI model (Llama 3.1 70B) provides detailed alignment ratings and analysis. Ratings range from 1 (minimal alignment) to 5 (very strong alignment). This analysis does not imply direct causation or intent.

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