US President Donald Trump signed his first executive order aimed at rolling back Obamacare on Friday night, within hours of taking oath of office. It orders federal agencies to ease the burden of the Affordable Care Act — former president Barack Obama's health care law that covers 20 million Americans.
The executive order stated that the Republican administration's official policy is "to seek the prompt repeal" of the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare. However, it stressed on the fact that Trump's administration must continue to uphold the law. Republicans have been protesting against the health care law for several years now using "repeal and replace Obamacare." Trump, during his election campaign, had also promised to repeal Obama's health care law and replace it with "something terrific."
On the first day of his presidency, Trump's signature sent a strong message that his first priority after becoming president was to repeal Obamacare that looks after over 20 million Americans. The health care law has remained a controversial subject even seven years after its inception. Former president Barack Obama's top priority after he took office in 2009 was to introduce a healthcare reform law that would make healthcare services affordable to the US citizens and improve the quality of health insurance.
The order also instructs the secretary of health and human services and the heads of other agencies to use their discretion to help individuals, healthcare providers, insurers and others prevent all burdens stemming from the Affordable Care Act, CNN reported. It also aims at giving states control over their health care markets.
White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus also issued a memorandum to all government agencies and departments calling for an immediate regulatory freeze on Obamacare.
Trump also put his signature on papers confirming James Mattis' appointment as defence secretary and John Kelly's appointment as homeland security secretary.
