President Joe Biden and his predecessor, Barack Obama, are joining forces this weekend to rally support for the 14th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. This move comes as Democrats seize the opportunity to counter former President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to dismantle the ACA.
Biden, Obama, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are scheduled to host a national organizing call on Saturday. The objective is to galvanize supporters to defend the ACA against Trump’s attacks, according to a campaign official. This call is part of a broader weekend of action aimed at rallying voters around the ACA, a landmark achievement of Obama’s presidency, signed into law on March 23, 2010.
The campaign is keen to spotlight healthcare as a pivotal issue for the 2024 elections, especially in light of Trump’s recent resurrection of his pledge to repeal Obamacare if he secures a second term in the White House.
Despite the ACA being enacted without Republican backing and the GOP’s persistent attempts to repeal it during Obama’s tenure, the law has seen a surge in popularity since Trump assumed office in 2017. Biden’s campaign officials are confident that preserving the ACA is a compelling political issue, as evidenced by a record 21.3 million sign-ups for 2024 coverage.
Trump’s promise to repeal the ACA during his presidency fell flat, largely due to the lack of a solid replacement healthcare plan from him or congressional Republicans. The last significant repeal measure was thwarted in Congress in Trump’s first year, with the late Sen. John McCain joining Democrats and a few Republicans to halt the effort. This marked the last time the ACA was viewed unfavorably by more Americans than favorably.
According to KFF, a nonpartisan research group, a near-record 59% of Americans now view the ACA favorably. The Department of Health and Human Services reports that over 40 million Americans have healthcare coverage thanks to the ACA, a significant increase from just under 27 million in 2017.
Biden and ACA advocates are also emphasizing other key benefits of the law, such as protection for those with pre-existing conditions, free preventive care, increased access to mental health and substance abuse treatment, and allowing children to remain on their parents’ health insurance until age 26.
Despite the ACA being more deeply ingrained in the nation’s healthcare system than in 2017, Trump recently renewed his pledge to repeal the act in his latest White House bid, much to the surprise and dismay of some of his advisers.
Biden’s campaign is planning over 20 in-person events in battleground states, starting Thursday, with local elected officials and individuals who have benefited from the ACA. An advertising and social media campaign around the anniversary is also planned.
This call is the latest in a series of collaborations between Biden and Obama for the 2024 campaign. They released a video last year promising to protect and expand Obamacare amidst threats from Trump, and Obama has assisted with some of the campaign’s fundraising appeals. Biden and Obama are also scheduled to appear together in-person next Thursday for a New York City fundraiser featuring the two presidents and former President Bill Clinton.
Contributions to this report were made by CNN’s Zachary B. Wolf.