News

Trump Admin Has Been Using Money Meant For Obamacare To Fight Obamacare

Mark Wilson/Getty Images

President Donald Trump's administration has been using funds dedicated to promote Obamacare to instead fight against it.

A social media campaign operated by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which features testimonials meant to serve as a repudiation of the health care law, have been financed by the department's "consumer information and outreach" budget, according to The Daily Beast.

It's in direct conflict with the original purpose of the budget: to help spread the word and encourage sign-ups for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as Obamacare.

Still, its money has been used to produce dozens of videos like the clip below:

The social media campaign is just one in a series of measures from the Trump administration that have undermined and handicapped Obamacare.

While Congress has so far failed to fulfill its "repeal and replace" plans for the health care law, the Trump administration has, for instance, pulled television advertising meant to inform uninsured people about signing up for Obamacare.

It's no secret that the president and his secretary at HHS, former GOP congressman Tom Price, are not fans of the ACA.

REUTERS

But regardless of its position on the law, the Trump administration is still responsible for administering Obamacare to the best of its ability.

Undermining the healthcare law, as Republicans continue to struggle with their repeal efforts, could ultimately mean that Americans are left with no new replacement for the ACA and instead stuck with an actively weakened Obamacare. Despite a lack of support from the majority of the Senate, majority leader Mitch McConnell reportedly plans to hold a vote on the GOP's repeal bill next week.

That possibility might fall in line with Trump's repeatedly floated idea that Republicans should let Obamacare "die" on its own.

However, that would surely mean consequences for those who have to rely on Obamacare.

In which case, no one wins.