The Trump Administration’s Two-Pronged Assault on Public Health

The following article by Myriam Alexander-Kearns was posted on the Center for American Progress website February 7, 2017:

AP/Charles Rex Arbogast
Carter Howard watches a cartoon during his asthma treatment in Northbrook, Illinois, on October 15, 2013.

The 115th Congress and the Trump administration have already set their sights on gutting the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and other cornerstone protections that ensure that our air is safe to breathe and our water safe to drink. They have promised to get rid of pollution limits for power plants instead of shifting to clean energy and nullify pollution limits for oil and gas drilling—as they also promise to drill anywhere and everywhere. These actions alone would greatly endanger public health and environmental quality. If that was not enough, however, congressional Republicans and the administration are also set on eliminating health insurance coverage for millions of Americans. This extreme rollback of federal regulations and services would allow more pollution, affect public health, and, at the same time, remove health care options for treatment when people get sick. Continue reading “The Trump Administration’s Two-Pronged Assault on Public Health”