President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday he says will improve Medicare plans for seniors while blasting Democrats for putting health care “under threat” with their Medicare for All proposals.
“Medicare is under threat like never before. I will never allow these politicians to steal your health care and give it away to illegal aliens.”
Trump gave a speech at a retirement community, though, he offered few details on the executive order and spent most of his time instead attacking the Democratic candidates and their health policies.
Trump said “no one will lay a hand on your Medicare benefits” as long as he’s president.
“Medicare is under threat like never before,” Trump said. “I will never allow these politicians to steal your health care and give it away to illegal aliens.”
Democrats were able to win a net 41 seats and take the majority in the House of Representatives in the 2018 midterm elections, largely running on health-care platforms while also promising to reign in the president. Trump has repeatedly promised to give people “great health care” — if they reelect him, hold the GOP majority in the Senate and win back the House.
Judging by the sheer number of Republican retirements from the House, it seems few in the GOP House minority believe they’ll be able to take it back in 2020. The number of retirements or Republicans not seeking reelection has swelled to 20 after Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, announced his retirement Monday. The GOP also lost Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., this week after he pleaded guilty to insider trading and resigned.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar spoke after Trump and said the president “directed HHS to take a number of specific, significant steps that will meaningfully improve the financing of Medicare, advance the care American seniors receive from their doctors and improve the health they enjoy.”
Azar said the steps include lowering costs in Medicare Advantage, allowing beneficiaries to create savings accounts and speeding up access to the latest medical technologies.
