Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Wants To Gain Back Ground On Health Care, But Nervous Republicans Worry It Will Give Dems More Ammo
The New York Times: Trump Wants To Neutralize Democrats On Health Care. Republicans Say Let It Go.
As President Trump prepares to kick off his bid for a second term this week, he is anxiously searching for a way to counter Democrats on health care, one of their central issues, even though many of his wary Republican allies would prefer he let it go for now. Since he announced his previous run four years ago, Mr. Trump has promised to replace President Barack Obama’s health care law with “something terrific” that costs less and covers more without ever actually producing such a plan. Now he is vowing to issue the plan within a month or two, reviving a campaign promise with broad consequences for next year’s contest. If he follows through, it could help shape a presidential race that Democrats would like to focus largely on health care. (Baker, Tackett and Qiu, 6/16)
The Hill: Trump Says He Will Roll Out New Health Care Plan In Next Couple Of Months
President Trump said he'll be rolling out a new health care plan in a couple of months, saying it will be a key focus in his 2020 reelection campaign. "We're going to produce phenomenal health care, and we already have the concept of the plan," Trump told ABC News in an interview aired Sunday night. (Klar, 6/16)
And Trump campaigned on his plans to fix the opioid crisis, but will he be able to again? —
Politico: Trump Campaigned On Defeating The Opioid Crisis. It’s Hard To Tell If He’s Winning.
President Donald Trump’s focus on the opioid crisis may strengthen his bond with poor, disaffected voters in hard-hit places like Appalachia that are a bedrock of his base. But the administration, for all its efforts, has not yet reversed the tide of the deadly epidemic. The Trump administration’s response to the crisis of painkiller addictions and overdoses poses an unusual challenge for Democrats, who otherwise have claimed the electoral advantage on health issues during the Trump era. (Ehley, 6/16)
