Administration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 2021

January 28, 2021

The President. Since we are socially distanced, I think I can take my mask off to make this very brief announcement. I know that you've been briefed by the health care team about what this is about. And there is an easy and quick way for us to describe this.

It's been a busy week, and I've signed Executive orders tackling COVIDâ19, the economic and climate crises, as well as advancing racial equity.

But today I'm about to sign two Executive orders that areâbasically, the best way to describe them, to undo the damage Trump has done. There's nothing new that we're doing here, other than restoring the Affordable Care Act and restoring the Medicaid to the way it was before Trump became President, which by fiat he changedâmade more inaccessible, more expensive, and more difficult for people to qualify for either of those two items: the Affordable Care Act or Medicaid.

And the second order I'm going to be signing also changes what the President has doneâthe Presidentâwhat the former President has done. And itâa memorandum reversed theâmy predecessor's attack on women's healthââ

[*At this point, the President coughed.*]

ââexcuse meâhealth access. And as we continue to battle COVIDâ19, it's even more critical that Americans have meaningful access to health care.

And so that's what I'm about to do. And again, I'm not initiating any new law, any new aspect of the law. This is going back to what the situation was prior to the President's Executive orders.

And the first one I'm going to be signing here is to strengthen Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. And of all times that we need to reinstate access to, affordability of, and extent of access to Medicaid is now, in the middle of this COVID crisis.

[*The President signed an Executive order titled "Strengthening Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act".*]

And the second order I'm singing relates to protecting women's health at home and abroad, and it reinstates the changes that were made to title 10 and other things, making it harder for women to have access to affordable health care as it relates to their reproductive rights.

[*The President signed a memorandum on protecting women's health at home and abroad.*] I'm sorry you had to stand in the cold before you all came in. Thank you all very much.

Coronavirus Relief Legislation

Q. Mr. President, is health care working as is, or when are you going to put out health care legislation?

The President. We've got a lot to do. And the first thing I've got to do is get this COVID package passed.

Q. Do you think getting COVID relief passed will require you to break it up into chunks, Mr. President?

The President. No one requires me to do anything. Thank you.

NOTE: The President spoke at 1:43 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White House.

Categories: Addresses and Remarks : Medicaid and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act strengthening efforts and protection of women's health at home and abroad, signing the Executive order and memorandum; Interviews With the News Media : Exchanges with reporters

:: White House*.*

Locations: Washington, DC.

Names: Trump, Donald J.

Subjects: Diseases : Coronavirus, domestic prevention efforts; Economy, national : Strengthening efforts; Health and medical care : Medicare and Medicaid; Health and medical care : Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Health and medical care : Women's health issues.

DCPD Number: DCPD202100098.