Statement of AFT President Randi Weingarten on President Trump’s Executive Order to Undermine Protections for Americans’ Health Insurance Coverage Under the Affordable Care Act

WASHINGTON—President Trump today signed an executive order to overhaul federal health regulations, which he said would lead to the full repeal of the Affordable Care Act. The order will result in fewer protections for the most vulnerable Americans, such as those with pre-existing conditions, and will encourage sham, loosely regulated health insurance plans that won’t provide adequate benefits. Ultimately, this could lead to the collapse of individual health insurance markets through which millions of Americans obtain coverage.

AFT President Randi Weingarten released the following statement:

 “Donald Trump owns the unwinding of the Affordable Care Act. He is ignoring the rule of law, refusing to compromise, and doing an end-run around Congress in order to strip people of their healthcare. Millions of Americans will be worse off because of his actions.

“This is an ongoing pattern of the Trump administration’s callous sabotage of Obamacare, and it will cause real harm to American families, leading to increased premiums and loss of coverage for those most in need of healthcare and flooding markets with cheap, limited ‘junk’ insurance.”