Trump’s First Executive Order: ‘Ease Burden’ of Obamacare

In his first executive order, President Donald Trump called for federal agencies to “ease the burden” of Obamacare.

Trump says in the order that he will be seeking “prompt repeal” of the Affordable Care Act. Pending full repeal, however, he will “take all actions consistent with law to minimize the unwarranted economic and regulatory burdens of the Act.” He also says the executive order will give individual states “more flexibility and control to create a more free and open healthcare market.”

The executive order continues:

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) and the heads of all other executive departments and agencies (agencies) with authorities and responsibilities under the Act shall exercise all authority and discretion available to them to waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay the implementation of any provision or requirement of the Act that would impose a fiscal burden on any State or a cost, fee, tax, penalty, or regulatory burden on individuals, families, healthcare providers, health insurers, patients, recipients of healthcare services, purchasers of health insurance, or makers of medical devices, products, or medications.

According to Fox News, Trump’s chief of staff Reince Priebus also issued a memo that directs federal agencies to freeze all new regulations and those that may be in the pipeline until the Trump administration is able to review them.

Republicans in Congress began the process of repealing Obamacare last week with an addendum to a budget bill.