‘It’s still a BFD’: Democrats applaud ruling upholding ObamaCare

Members of the Biden administration and Democratic lawmakers took to social media Thursday to praise the Supreme Court’s decision upholding ObamaCare against the latest Republican challenge. 

White House chief of staff Ron Klain tweeted, “It’s still a BFD,” apparently referring to the abbreviation for “big f—ing deal,” a remark that then-Vice President Biden was recorded uttering to then-President Obama at the 2010 signing ceremony for the Affordable Care Act (ACA). 

The acronym went on to be used by both Obama’s reelection campaign and Biden’s 2020 campaign on products promoting efforts to protect and build on the health care legislation. 

It’s still a BFD.

— Ronald Klain (@WHCOS) June 17, 2021

Klain’s tweet came moments after the Supreme Court unveiled its 7-2 ruling stating that GOP challengers lacked standing to file a lawsuit against ObamaCare, making it the third major challenge thrown out by the high court in roughly a decade. 

Many have attributed the ACA with expanding Medicaid to more Americans, as well as making private health plans more affordable for low-income families. 

Additionally, health experts have recently noted that the policy has proved to be a substantial resource for Americans who lost health care coverage amid job losses during the coronavirus pandemic. 

The Biden administration announced recently that a total of 31 million Americans were covered under ObamaCare. 

White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates on Thursday responded to news of the Supreme Court decision by arguing that the state of health care in the U.S. has improved under the Biden administration. 

“Coronavirus cases have plunged by over 90%, job growth was unprecedented for any President’s first 100 days, more than150 million ARP checks have been delivered, our leadership in the world is restored, and millions now won’t lose their healthcare during a pandemic,” he tweeted, along with a GIF of Biden putting on his signature aviator sunglasses captioned, “#DEAL WITH IT.” 

Coronavirus cases have plunged by over 90%, job growth was unprecedented for any President’s first 100 days, more than150 million ARP checks have been delivered, our leadership in the world is restored, and millions now won’t lose their healthcare during a pandemic. https://t.co/SJXx0Bloof pic.twitter.com/xO2K6KguPt

— Andrew Bates (@AndrewJBates46) June 17, 2021

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) released a statement calling the Supreme Court’s Thursday decision “a landmark victory for Democrats’ work to defend protections for people with pre-existing conditions against Republicans’ relentless efforts to dismantle them.”

“Thanks to the tireless advocacy of Americans across the country and Democrats in Congress, the Affordable Care Act endures as a pillar of American health and economic security alongside Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security,” she added. 

Today’s Supreme Court ruling is a landmark victory for Democrats’ work to defend protections for people with pre-existing conditions against Republicans’ relentless efforts to dismantle them.

My statement: https://t.co/Gvl02ux4AI

— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) June 17, 2021

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) also expressed praise for the ruling, tweeting, “Today, the American people have won again!” 

“After over a decade of Republican attacks: The ACA is here to stay,” he wrote, adding that lawmakers were “building on it to establish, once and for all, health care as a basic right of every American.”

Today, the American people have won again!

After over a decade of Republican attacks:

The ACA is here to stay

And providing coverage to 31 million Americans

And now we’re building on it to establish, once and for all, health care as a basic right of every American.

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) June 17, 2021

The legal challenge to the ACA came from 18 Republican states led by Texas, who argued that former President Trump’s 2017 tax cut made unconstitutional the ObamaCare tax penalty meant to boost Americans’ purchase of health insurance.