On Jan. 30, President Donald Trump delivered his first State of the Union since taking office.
While Trump spoke about many important issues, his talking points on health and science were especially notable.
Medical Breakthroughs
2017 marked an incredible year for FDA drug approvals, and Trump was happy to brag about that.
"To speed access to breakthrough cures and affordable generic drugs, last year, the FDA approved more new and generic drugs and medical devices than ever before in our country's history," Trump said.
During his State of the Union address, Trump made two specific pledges regarding medicine. First, he asked the Congress to increase access to experimental treatments for patients. Then Trump vowed to fix the "injustice of high drug prices."
Americans spend over $450 billion every year on prescription drugs, which is more than most countries.
Changes In US Health Care
Trump bragged about eliminating the individual mandate for health insurance.
"We eliminated an especially cruel tax ... on Americans making less than $50,000 a year, forcing them to pay tremendous penalties, simply because they couldn't afford government-ordered health plans," the president said.
Some experts say that the repeal of the individual mandate could result in higher health insurance premiums and more people without any health care.
American Energy Policy
Touting his administration's support for the deregulation of the coal industry, Trump spoke about changes in the U.S. energy sector.
"We have ended the war on beautiful, clean coal," Trump said. "We are now very proudly an exporter of energy to the world."
As other nations close the door on their coal industries, America is doubling down, and according to environmental experts, President Trump's dream of clean coal is a myth.
The Opioid Crisis
Americans are united in the fight to curb the opioid crisis. There were more than 64,000 drug overdose deaths in 2016.
"My administration is committed to fighting the drug epidemic and helping get treatment for those in need," Trump said.
The president vowed to get "tougher" on drug dealers to stop the opioid crisis.
What Trump Didn't Mention
Although there were many things that the president did not discuss, two particular subjects stood out.
First, Trump never mentioned climate change. 2017 was one of the hottest years on record. With the Trump administration pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement, it appears that the United States is no longer a global leader on the fight to curb climate change.
Also, there was no mention about technology in the president's State of the Union address. The technology industry had a remarkable year in 2017, and more innovations could occur this year.
