In light of a handful of Republican U.S. Senators repeatedly siding with Democrats to block President Trump’s efforts to repeal and replace ObamaCare, he is using the power of the pen to start the process on his own.
In its news release yesterday, the White House quoted the President as saying:
“The time has come to give Americans the freedom to purchase health insurance across state lines, which will create a truly competitive national marketplace that will bring costs way down and provide far better care.”
The media advisory said the President is “signing an Executive Order to reform the United States healthcare system to take the first steps to expand choices and alternatives to Obamacare plans and increase competition to bring down costs for consumers.”
At the crack of dawn today, the President Tweeted “The Democrats ObamaCare is imploding. Massive subsidy payments to their pet insurance companies have stopped. Dems should call me to fix!” Next, he Tweeted: “ObamaCare is a broken mess. Piece by piece we will now begin the process of giving America the great HealthCare it deserves!”
The White House press release yesterday said that the President is “taking action to increase the health care choices for millions of Americans, potentially allowing some employers to join together across State lines to offer coverage.”
“The status quo is not delivering quality healthcare options for the American people, who are facing higher premiums and fewer options,” Trump stated.
A Fox News article this morning said the Justice Department has notified a federal appeals court that a payment due Monday “will not occur.” Confirming this, acting HHS Secretary Eric Hargan and Medicare administrator Seema Verma said, “We will discontinue these payments immediately.”
However, The Wall Street Journal reported Trump telling one legislator lawmaker that the payments may continue if a bipartisan deal is reached to reform health care.
The President says he still seeks that legislative outcome. In the meantime, however, he says his order will give help people by giving them more health care choices at lower prices.
