White House counselor Kellyanne Conway confirmed health care analysts' suspicions Sunday that Obamacare's individual mandate was one of the main targets President Trump's executive order Friday — but she fudged on how quickly the administration would act on it.
Here's what she said on ABC's "This Week with George Stepanopoulous" this morning when Stephanopoulos asked about the executive order:
He wants to get rid of that Obamacare penalty almost immediately. Because that is something that is really strangling a lot of Americans, to have to pay a penalty for not buying health care.
The executive order President Trump signed Friday night directs the Health and Human Services to give broad flexibility in implementing Obamacare, using sweeping language to suggest exemptions if the law presents a burden of just about any kind.
The key language, according to the text released by the White House: HHS would have to waive anything 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."
Before hitting inaugural balls, Trump signed an executive order "that directs the departments and the agencies to ease the burden of Obamacare as we transition to repeal and replace,'' spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters. Separately White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus issued a government-wide order freezing new regulations.
What it means: nothing. A GOP aide said the order is "pretty much a nothingburger." The real action on repeal and replace is still on the Hill.
