Trending News Today: Trump Vows to Tackle Healthcare Reform Before Tax Reform

Three years ago, Michigan implemented stricter regulations for families seeking to obtain an immunization exemption waiver due to an outbreak of whooping cough and measles among school-aged children. The new policy requires families to consult with public health departments before receiving the waiver, making it more of a hassle to go through the process, Kaiser Health News reported. In the first year alone, the number of state waivers received dropped 35%. These results show that making the process more inconvenient could lead to higher immunization rates, according to Kaiser.

In an interview with Fox Business Network, President Donald Trump said the administration will reform healthcare before tackling tax reform. This latest statement shows Trump’s shift in thought; after the American Health Care Act was pulled, he said GOP leaders were going to move on to overhauling the tax code. Trump said in the interview that while both reforms will happen, passing healthcare reform first may pave the way for tax reform and make it easier, according to Politico.

Trump will likely choose the head of the Pennsylvania Republican Party, Rep Tom Marino (R-PA), to be the next director of the national drug control policy, according to the Associated Press. The party’s chairman Val DiGiorgio (R-PA) said he expects an official announcement regarding the position soon. Marino formerly served as a US district attorney under President George W Brush, which would likely provide him with an excellent background to approach the challenges facing the country, according to the article.