President Obama released an inspiring message to commemorate the 14th anniversary of his signature legislation, the Affordable Care Act.
What did President Obama say on the 14th anniversary of Obamacare?
President Obama said in a statement:
Fourteen years ago today, I signed the Affordable Care Act into law.
A Republican member of the House later called the ACA “the most dangerous piece of legislation ever passed by Congress.” Another predicted that the country would “never recover.” But then something else happened: It actually worked.
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Since the ACA was passed, the percentage of uninsured Americans has been cut in half. And thanks to investments made by the Biden-Harris Administration to develop the ACA, more than 21 million Americans now have access to quality, affordable health care.
Today, young people continue to follow their parents’ plans until the age of 26. Americans with pre-existing conditions are no longer denied coverage. Seniors and people with disabilities pay less for prescription drugs. And Americans everywhere are changing jobs and starting their own businesses without worrying about losing their insurance.
In many ways, the Affordable Care Act has become a part of our lives, changing the way we think about health insurance. But that doesn’t mean we can take it for granted.
Right now, some Republicans are still trying to repeal and gut the ACA, while also calling for cuts that could put insurance out of reach for tens of millions of Americans.
We have come too far to allow this to happen. President Biden has demonstrated that he will continue to fight to develop the ACA, and we must fight with him.
Because healthcare is not, and will never be, a privilege. It is a right and there is still a lot we can do to make it more accessible and effective for everyone.
Obamacare is the defining policy achievement of President Obama’s legacy. The ACA (Obamacare) has stood the test of time and improved the lives of the American people.
For those who are too young to remember or may have forgotten, it was a fight to get the ACA into law. Republicans still plan to repeal the law today. There have been town halls and protests for and against the legislation. Barack Obama has staked his political capital on the passage of the healthcare law. America is infinitely better off because it took the risk and dared to keep fighting until the bill became law.
Barack Obama transformed the way the American people view health care. Healthcare is right, and this belief has enabled progress toward universal healthcare and reduced prescription drug costs.
Obama was right. The work is not finished. There is still much to do. The ACA must be defended, as it is a matter of life and death that Americans never allow Republicans to put the health insurance system back to how it was before.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a member of the White House press pool and a congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a bachelor’s degree in political science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
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