Donald Trump has said repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act should be done “very quickly”—but the issue was nowhere to be found in the president’s inaugural address at the U.S. Capitol Friday. Trump’s speech, which struck populist themes on trade, immigration, foreign policy, and democracy, had little to say about what America might expect the new administration to implement on health care.
In fact, the closest Trump came to mentioning health care at all came during a declaration that one promise of the new millennium will be to “free the earth from the miseries of disease.”
Trump did touch on how his presidency would endeavor to improve the economic status for “American workers and the American families.”
“We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs,” Trump said. “Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength…We will bring back our jobs. We will bring back our borders. We will bring back our wealth. And we will bring back our dreams.”
While the issue did not receive a mention from Trump Friday, health care has been a stated priority for the administration. Andrew Bremberg, who led the Trump transition team for the Department of Health and Human Services, is slated to be the director of the Domestic Policy Council—the lead office within the White House where domestic policy is made. Meanwhile, the Republican-controlled Congress, working closely with Vice President Mike Pence, has been taking steps in its first few days to repeal much of Obamacare by way of a budget resolution. The details of what law or laws could replace the current health-care law remain unknown.
