--- title: Trump Inauguration: Donald Trump Signs Obamacare Order description: President Trump signed an executive order Friday directing executive agencies to begin preparing for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. canonical: https://time.com/4642088/trump-inauguration-obamacare-repeal-order/ author: Zeke Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-01-21T00:40:45.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T13:10:02.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Trump Signed Order to Prepare for Repeal of Obamacare og:description: He also ordered a freeze on new regulations. og:url: https://time.com/4642088/trump-inauguration-obamacare-repeal-order/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5fcce821b9043bbd/6988b67cab6d7773306ac8e0/trump9.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Inauguration Of Donald Trump As 45th President Of The United States og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Trump Signed Order to Prepare for Repeal of Obamacare twitter:description: He also ordered a freeze on new regulations. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5fcce821b9043bbd/6988b67cab6d7773306ac8e0/trump9.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Donald Trump Signed Order to Prepare for Repeal of Obamacare by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Updated: Dec 13, 2023 1:10 PM UTCPublished: Jan 21, 2017 12:40 AM UTC  U.S. President Donald Trump, center, prepares to formally sign his cabinet nominations into law with U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, from second left, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, during the 58th presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2017. U.S. President Donald Trump, center, prepares to formally sign his cabinet nominations into law with U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, from second left, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, during the 58th presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2017.J. Scott Applewhite—Bloomberg/Getty Images by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Updated: Dec 13, 2023 1:10 PM UTCPublished: Jan 21, 2017 12:40 AM UTC **Correction appended, Jan. 20, 2017** In his first official act in the White House, President Trump signed an executive order Friday directing executive agencies to begin preparing for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, as his Administration ordered a freeze on all new government regulations. [Sitting behind the Resolute Desk](http://time.com/4641112/trump-patriotism-day-history/) in the Oval Office barely seven hours after [his swearing-in](http://time.com/4641156/donald-trump-inauguration-oath-swear-in-president/), Trump signed an executive order to direct federal agencies to take steps to “to ease the burden of Obamacare,” Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters in the White House briefing room. Separately, Chief of Staff Reince Priebus distributed a memo throughout the federal government freezing the imposition of new regulations pending review by the new Administration. Both actions begin the process of fulfilling key campaign promises of the new president to [repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act](http://time.com/4584755/donald-trump-cabinet-tom-price-health-human-services-obamacare/) and to roll back the Obama administration’s regulatory regime. Trump has promised to introduce a replacement to the healthcare bill after his nominee for Secretary of Heath and Human Services, Rep. Tom Price, is confirmed. **Read More:** [_How Donald Trump Just Raised Many Mortgage Bills_](http://time.com/4641511/trump-inauguration-mortgage-payments/) The new president also signed the commissions for his first two Cabinet Secretaries: Secretary of Defense Gen. James Mattis and Secretary of Homeland Security Gen. John Kelly, who were each confirmed by the Senate Friday afternoon. Trump was still dressed in his suit and tie from the Inauguration, and hadn’t yet changed into a tuxedo for the evening’s Inaugural Balls. Asked about his day, Trump told reporters, “It was busy, but good. A beautiful day.” **Correction:** An earlier version of the story said that a bust of Martin Luther King had been moved. 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