Obama to make White House return to tout ACA successes

Former President Obama is set to participate in an event celebrating the Affordable Care Act at the White House on Tuesday, an agenda from the White House said.

Obama, alongside President Biden and Vice President Harris, is scheduled to “deliver remarks celebrating the success of the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid in extending affordable health insurance to millions of Americans as part of the President’s agenda to cut costs for American families,” according to the White House.

The agenda added that Biden is expected to announce additional measures to strengthen the legislation, which was signed into law 12 years ago during Obama’s first term in office.

The event will mark the first time Obama has publicly appeared at the White House since leaving office in early 2017 at the end of his second term.

“Twelve years ago, I proudly stood beside President Barack Obama as he signed into law the most consequential expansion of health care in generations: the Affordable Care Act,” Biden said in a statement last month marking the anniversary of the law’s signing.

“With the stroke of a pen — after decades of tireless efforts — millions of Americans gained peace of mind. And because of my Administration’s efforts, including passing the landmark American Rescue Plan, we have lowered health care costs and made coverage more accessible than ever before — even amid a global pandemic,” the president added.

Obama also celebrated the anniversary on Twitter by noting that “more than 30 million Americans have health coverage thanks to the Affordable Care Act.”

“During the pandemic, the Affordable Care Act helped make vaccines and COVID-19 tests available for free, covered emergency hospitalizations, and prevented insurance companies from denying anyone coverage based on a pre-existing condition,” Obama’s tweet added on the anniversary.