President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Individual to Key Administration Post

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 19, 2019 President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Individual to Key Administration Post   Today, President Donald J. Trump announced his intent to nominate the following individual to a key position in his Administration: Sethuraman Panchanathan of Arizona, to be the Director of the National Science Foundation. Dr. Panchanathan currently serves as the Executive Vice President and the Chief Research and Innovation Officer at Arizona State University (ASU).  He is the Founding Director of the Center for Cognitive Ubiquitous Computing at ASU.  He was appointed to the National Science Board (NSB) in 2014 and served as the Chair of the Committee on Strategy for NSB.  He also served as a member of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship.  Dr. Panchanathan is the Vice President for Strategic Initiatives of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).  He was the Chair of the Council on Research of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and Co-Chair of the Extreme Innovation Taskforce of the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils.  He was appointed as Senior Advisor for Science & Technology by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey in 2018.  Dr. Panchanathan is a Fellow of the NAI, American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the Society of Optical Engineering.  He earned a bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Madras in 1981 and in Electronics and Communication Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science in 1984.  He then earned his master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in 1986 and Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from University of Ottawa, Canada, in 1989.

Statement from the Press Secretary

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 18, 2019 Statement from the Press Secretary Today marks the culmination in the House of one of the most shameful political episodes in the history of our Nation.  Without receiving a single Republican vote, and without providing any proof of wrongdoing, Democrats pushed illegitimate articles of impeachment against the President through the House of Representatives.  Democrats have chosen to proceed on this partisan basis in spite of the fact that the President did absolutely nothing wrong.  Indeed, weeks of hearings have proved that he did nothing wrong.   Throughout the House Democrats’ entire sham impeachment, the President was denied fundamental fairness and due process under the law.  The House blatantly ignored precedent and conducted the inquiry in secrecy behind closed doors so that Chairman Adam Schiff and his partisan political cronies could selectively leak information to their partners in the media to push a false narrative.  When public hearings were held before Chairman Schiff’s committee, Democrats continued their games and denied the President the ability to cross-examine witnesses or present witnesses or evidence.  The proceedings in the Judiciary Committee included no fact witnesses at all and consisted solely of a biased law seminar and a staffer rehashing the slanted report that was produced by Chairman Schiff’s rigged proceeding.  This unconstitutional travesty resulted in two baseless articles of impeachment that lack any support in evidence and fail even to describe any impeachable offense.  All of these antics make clear that Democrats have lost sight of what this country needs, which is a Congress that works for the people.  Their boundless animus for President Trump fuels their desire to nullify the 2016 election results, and improperly influence the 2020 election. The American people are not fooled by this disgraceful behavior.  They understand fairness, due process, and substantial, reliable evidence are required before any American should be charged with wrongdoing—and certainly before impeaching a duly elected President.  The President is confident the Senate will restore regular order, fairness, and due process, all of which were ignored in the House proceedings.  He is prepared for the next steps and confident that he will be fully exonerated.  President Trump will continue to work tirelessly to address the needs and priorities of the American people, as he has since the day he took office.

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP APPLAUDS THE CIRCUIT COURT’S DECISION AND WILL CONTINUE WORKING TO PROVIDE AMERICANS WITH BETTER CARE AT LOWER COST

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 18, 2019 PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP APPLAUDS THE CIRCUIT COURT’S DECISION AND WILL CONTINUE WORKING TO PROVIDE AMERICANS WITH BETTER CARE AT LOWER COST “We’re creating a healthcare system that protects vulnerable patients, makes healthcare more affordable, gives you more choice and control, and delivers the high-quality care Americans deserve.” – President Donald J. Trump   A GREAT VICTORY FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE: The 5th Circuit Court delivered a victory for the American people by ruling against a key part of Obamacare. In the case of Texas v. Azar, the 5th Circuit ruled that a key part of Obamacare – the individual mandate – is unconstitutional. The decision is expected to be litigated over the course of the next year.   While this is a great victory for the American people, there will be no immediate changes to your healthcare insurance while the case proceeds. The decision is a positive step toward moving away from Obamacare, which has failed the American people for too long. President Trump is committed to protecting Americans with preexisting conditions and will continue working to improve the quality, affordability, and accessibility of our healthcare system, as the courts continue to consider this case. OBAMACARE FAILED THE AMERICAN PEOPLE: In addition to its unconstitutionality, Obamacare has failed the American people by increasing costs and reducing choices. While the Obama administration and Congressional Democrats promised Obamacare would lower premiums by $2,500, costs have soared. Obamacare has severely limited Americans’ ability to choose the best healthcare plan for them. Despite promises from President Obama and Congressional Democrats, millions of Americans lost their coverage and doctors after Obamacare was implemented. Obamacare has utterly failed to provide reliable, comprehensive care for all Americans. In 2017, 25.6 million Americans still lacked insurance. In 2018, only 12.5 million people were enrolled in Obamacare-compliant plans, falling far short of CBO’s 2013 projection of 27 million. IMPROVING CARE FOR ALL: The President is working to deliver a healthcare system that protects the vulnerable, provides affordability, ensures choice and control for patients, and delivers high-quality care. President Trump is increasing choices for consumers by expanding Association Health Plans, Health Reimbursement Arrangements, and short-term plans. President Trump is taking action to increase price transparency, empowering patients to make informed decisions about their healthcare. The President’s efforts to reduce drug prices have resulted in the largest single-year drop in prescription drug prices in more than half a century. President Trump will protect Americans with preexisting conditions. The President has taken action to protect and improve Medicare for our seniors. President Trump is committed to promoting innovative treatments for American patients. President Trump has taken action to improve kidney health and treatment, increase funding for and expand access to treatment for those struggling with addiction, step up pediatric cancer research, work on eliminating the HIV epidemic, and more.

Statement by the President

Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 18, 2019

Statement by the President Today’s decision in Texas v. Azar is a win for all Americans and confirms what I have said all along: that the individual mandate, by far the worst element of Obamacare, is unconstitutional. This decision will not alter the current healthcare system. My Administration continues to work to provide access to high-quality healthcare at a price you can afford, while strongly protecting those with pre-existing conditions. The radical healthcare changes being proposed by the far left would strip Americans of their current coverage. I will not let this happen. Providing affordable, high-quality healthcare will always be my priority.  They are trying to take away your healthcare, and I am trying to give the American people the best healthcare in the world.