Since it was initially enacted, Republicans have opposed nearly every single element of the Affordable Care Act. Throughout the 2016 election, the GOP has made it clear that Obamacare will not outlast a Republican presidency. GOP leaders, such as House Speaker Paul Ryan, have even made it evident that it is high on the presidential agenda and set to be addressed quickly after the inauguration.

However, this poses a huge risk to all American citizens. Within every news outlet, all you will hear is, "repeal and replace;" but what will it be replaced with? How can this be a huge component of the Trump presidency with absolutely no infrastructure for a new system? In the event that Obamacare is immediately repealed, millions will be left without any form of health coverage. The existing socioeconomic struggle of American citizens should not be compromised at the hands of wealthy lawmakers. For many individuals, this is all they have; the detriment of enforcing a fragmentary and erroneous hand may be irreversible. Minorities, especially people of color, face a systemic obstacle when accessing healthcare; without the Affordable Care Act, we additionally would take a step back in regards to social progress as well.As a country, we cannot afford any more hardship. It is not in the best interest of our nation to move quickly to a decision-making process that has lasting effects on such a large population of people; regardless of promises made within a campaign.

The Affordable Care Act works for the people it needs to work for; we must not forget how truly important that is. However, I concede that it does fall short when providing coverage for middle and working class Americans. Rather than simply repealing and replacing Obamacare, we should focus on strict reform and rapid socioeconomic recovery. It's crucial to sustain the parts that work for the lower class and continue to resolve issues for the middle class, specifically in regards to high premiums.

However, according to The Wall Street Journal, Trump recently reported that he did in fact plan on keeping portions of the Affordable Care Act, characterizing it as a partial repeal. While this may provide further socioeconomic sustainability, it still remains skeptical how our president-elect can suddenly change his opinion on such a prominent component of his campaign. Many of Trump voters became drawn to the repetitive idea of the repealing and replacing Obamacare; leading Trump supporters, as well as affiliates, to become so incredibly saturated in their reaction to the idea of completely voiding Obamacare. As the Trump campaign nailed this idea into the brains of his supporters, he omitted the formulation of an actual plan and failed to encourage his supporters to self-educate in regards to the issue.

As we near inauguration day, it's important to maintain ideals that encompass human responsibility and the best interest of one another. We must work to continue to provide affordable coverage to the lower class, as well as work to provide the same amenities for the middle class. Stripping our nation of access to affordable healthcare would be disadvantageous to our entire nation; let us not forget our individual accountability in regards to major social issues.