WASHINGTON— President Trump announced last night that he will end subsidies to health insurance companies that help 7 million low-income Americans pay out-of-pocket costs. Earlier in the day, he signed an executive order to overhaul federal health regulations that will result in fewer protections for the most vulnerable Americans and will encourage the creation of health insurance plans that provide fewer benefits and fewer protections.

AFT President Randi Weingarten released the following statement:

“President Trump’s one-two punch yesterday targeting the financial underpinning of the Affordable Care Act is designed to gut the ACA. And his proposed replacement? Empty words. For example, if the president believed that making insurance available across state lines would make it more affordable, why not include it in the bipartisan work Sens. Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray have been doing in the Senate?

“While his words are empty, the president’s actions will make America sicker, poorer and worse off—for individuals who will have fewer and fewer insurance options, and for states whose budgets will now worsen as more people will be unable to afford health insurance and will revert to using emergency room medicine. Trump owns this unconscionable situation and bears responsibility for the harm it will cause.

“We support the states that will be taking legal action, and urge Congress to act to protect Americans from Trump’s reckless actions.”