Although U.S. President Donald Trump signed 29 laws during his first 100 days in office, the laws exclude repealing Obamacare. It was the top campaign promise that the billionaire failed to fulfill.
This failure, according to CNN, is a humiliating blow to the real estate mogul. It also places a big question mark about his presidential authority because the White House has predicted several times that a vote on repealing Obamacare is surely coming.
Political limbo
Experts blame the repeal of Obamacare remaining in political limbo to continuous wrangling between Republican moderates and conservatives.
Trump insisted on reducing premiums and widening access. However, by giving into the president’s push, millions of Americans would be denied health coverage, a report from the Congressional Budget Office warned.
Instead of the Democrats who were expected to be the hindrance to the repeal of Obamacare, the primary opposition came from his party mates. The GOP has a monopoly on power in Congress, but Trump must find a way to tap into it. Otherwise, his next 100 Days could be as empty as his first 100 days when it comes to crafting significant legislation.
Archaic rules
The president blames the rules in Congress, especially in the Senate, for being “unbelievably archaic and slow-moving. Trump added that the rules are unfair because in many cases, leaders are forced to cut deals that are not what were intended.
Dealing with national leaders
The crisis he faces goes beyond the U.S. Topping the challenges he faces overseas is dealing with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and his ambitious missile and nuclear programs. However, on Monday, Trump said he is willing to meet the dictator but only “under the right circumstances.”
Next on the list is Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he described in September 2016 in an interview with NBC as a stronger leader than his predecessor, former President Barack Obama.
However, the two presidents had a falling out over the U.S. bombing of Syria. Amid Trump’s admission that the Washington-Moscow relations are at an all-time low, the two men are scheduled to speak again on Tuesday through a phone call.
Finally, Trump’s decision to invite Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to the White House is being questioned by political observers. The New York Times pointed out that despite Manila being an ally and a democracy, the former mayor of Davao City “is neither a democratic leader nor a worthy ally.”
