President-elect Donald Trump now says he wants “insurance for everybody” when Obamacare is replaced, which caused nearly every pundit in Washington and beyond scrambling to figure out what exactly he means. Will everyone get health care? Or will everyone get access to health care? Does that mean it’ll be affordable to everyone? Can he get the Republican Congress unified behind that plan?
WHAT’S NEW TODAY ON…
OBAMACARE
Trump made waves over the weekend, telling The Washington Post that he wants “insurance for everybody,” and urging Congress to quickly put the replacement plan in place. He didn’t say how he will do it, and Congress will have its say.
CNN’s Manu Raju reports exclusively that HHS nominee Dr. Tom Price invested in a medical device company and then introduced a bill that would help it. Democrats are sure to press him on it at his confirmation hearing on Wednesday.
A local news report from Colorado shows GOP Rep. Mike Coffman exiting a contentious meeting in Aurora after refusing to meet with dozens of the Obamacare-supporting constituents that attended.
OBAMACARE/TAXES — The founder and executive director of Families USA, a health care consumer group, argues the Republican Obamacare repeal bill will lead to less and worse coverage, due to its massive tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.
TRADE
Ben Bernanke cast doubts on Trump’s claims about China, saying that labeling them a currency manipulator does not “fit with reality.” He also warns against starting a trade war.
A new PwC survey shows nearly 60% of global CEOs are worried about protectionism and rising trade barriers, up from 40% in 2012.
The Wall Street Journal previews the potential impact of Trump’s new trade policies, with a large focus on what one senior trade expert dubs his “four horsemen” of trade policy architects: Wilbur Ross, Robert Lighthizer, Pete Navarro and Jason Greenbelt.
ENVIRONMENT
The Washington Post reported on the meeting Trump had with a Princeton physicist who says global warming is good for us. They also have a story on how the nominees in the confirmation hearings are saying climate change isn’t a hoax, but isn’t a big deal either.
Bloomberg has another data preservation story. The Sierra Club is using FOIA to preserve EPA data, because federal law prohibits destruction of files being considered for release.
The EPA locked in fuel efficiency rules requiring automakers to nearly double fleet-wide fuel efficiency by 2025.
ENVIRONMENT/INFRASTRUCTURE — CNBC reports on an analyst who believes Trump’s infrastructure plans could actually be good for the environment because companies that are solving environmental problems would benefit from increased economic activity.
INFRASTRUCTURE/TRADE
The IMF has improved its forecast for US economic growth over the next two years, due in large part to Trump’s potential infrastructure package. However, the IMF warns Trump’s protectionist trade policies may undermine the gains.
Outgoing Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx cautioned that the price tag for Trump’s infrastructure plan should not be the most important aspect of it. Foxx told Recode: “You could put $5 trillion into our infrastructure system, but if we’re not paying for the right things, we’re going to be challenged.”
Without delving into specifics, an informal Trump adviser told Fox Business Network taxpayers will not be on the hook for 68 ready-to-go infrastructure projects.
EVERYTHING — A Harvard poll made public Monday shows deep divisions between Trump voters and the public at large on a host of issues from Obamacare to immigration. The two groups can agree on the need for more infrastructure spending, according to the poll.
LOOKING AHEAD…
TUESDAY
ENVIRONMENT — 2:15pm ET confirmation hearing of Ryan Zinke for Interior secretary.
WEDNESDAY
ENVIRONMENT — 10am ET confirmation hearing of Scott Pruitt to be EPA administrator.
TRADE/INFRASTRUCTURE/TAX CUTS — 10am ET confirmation hearing of Wilbur Ross to be commerce secretary
OBAMACARE — 10am ET confirmation hearing of Tom Price to be HHS secretary.
THURSDAY
ENERGY — 10am ET confirmation hearing of Rick Perry to be energy secretary
OBAMACARE — Multiple GOP governors are expected to take part in a meeting hosted by the Senate Finance Committee to talk about Medicaid. Governing magazine has an excellent rundown of where all GOP governors stand on repeal and replace.
FRIDAY
TRUMP INAUGURATION — Trump and his team have pledged to use executive actions to dismantle many of Obama’s policies on day one. Here are a few of the Obamacare-related actions he could take on Day 1.