How To Protest Tom Price's White House Appointment

Donald Trump continues to stack his cabinet with vehemently anti-Obama selections, and his pick for Health and Human Services appears to be taking aim at what could have been the president's crowning legacy: the Affordable Care Act. Trump's newest cringe-worthy appointment is Georgia Representative Tom Price for Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, and if dismantling Obamacare is one of the President-elect's top goals, he unfortunately could not have chosen a better candidate. But all hope shouldn't be lost — there is still a way to protest Price's appointment as HHS Secretary.

Protesting his appointment should be key for those who wish to maintain some semblance of their health coverage, especially those who use Medicare or Obamacare. Price has worked both in the private sector, as a physician, and later in the political arena as a congressman to limit the terms of Medicare, and essentially eliminate Obamacare since Day One. As HHS Secretary, Price would likely take that fight to the White House, radically altering Medicare and Medicaid options in ways that favor doctors over patients. This could include the privatizations of these services, as well as allowing doctors to opt out of offering them altogether.

The congressman also opposes women's rights and LGBTQ rights, consistently receiving low scores across the board from organizations like Planned Parenthood. His appointment of HHS Secretary threatens the medical wellbeing of so many Americans.

But Price's appointment still has to receive the Senate's approval, which is where the protesting could come in handy. Call your senators and representatives to voice your disapproval of Trump's pick. Though it may be a bit of a long shot, elected officials ought to listen to their constituents' opinions. So you can give them a call, leave a quick question, and perhaps if they're inundated with enough pressure, they won't approve of Price as the new secretary. You can find out who your representative is here, as well as the information for contacting your state's senators.

And of course, there's another way of protesting: donating to the organizations Price has vehemently opposed. He has repeatedly sought to defund Planned Parenthood, so leaving the organization a donation — especially one in his name — could make an impact. Giving to any organization that seeks to defend the rights Price plans on taking away would certainly be a worthy cause. And should Price ultimately become the new HHS Secretary, keeping up those donations will be important.