Fourteen years ago today, I signed the Affordable Care Act into law.
Afterwards, one Republican member of the House called the ACA the “most dangerous piece of legislation ever passed in Congress.” Another predicted the country would “never recover from it.”
But then something else happened: it actually worked.
Since the ACA was passed, the percentage of uninsured Americans has been cut in half. And thanks to the investments the Biden-Harris Administration has made to build on the ACA, more than 21 million Americans now have access to quality, affordable health care.
Today, young people are staying on their parents’ plans until they’re 26. Americans with pre-existing conditions are no longer being denied coverage. Seniors and people with disabilities are paying less for prescription drugs. And Americans everywhere are switching jobs and starting their own businesses without worrying about losing their insurance.
In so many ways, the Affordable Care Act has become 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 – including calling for cuts that could put insurance out of reach for tens of millions of Americans.
We’ve come too far to let that happen. President Biden has proven that he’ll keep fighting to build on the ACA, and we need to fight with him.
Because health care is not, and never will be, a privilege. It’s a right – and there’s so much more we can do to make it more affordable and effective for everyone.
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Over the years, I’ve been moved by so many of you who’ve shared how the Affordable Care Act has transformed your lives and allowed you to get the coverage you need.
I wanted to share some of those stories with you and I hope you’ll share your story, too.
When Steven was only 26-years-old, he was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia. If it wasn’t for the Medicaid expansion in the ACA, Steven says he wouldn’t have been able to afford the medication he has to take for the rest of his life.
After being diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Laura credits the Affordable Care Act with allowing her to get the care she needed to save her life.
Yesterday, voters across the country turned out for the values we’re fighting for – because they know state and local elections matter.
Once again, voters made it clear that they believe women should have the right to make decisions about their own bodies.
In Ohio, voters chose to enshrine abortion rights into their state constitution. And in Kentucky, @AndyBeshearKY won a second term as governor after standing up for abortion rights.
Courts play a vital role in protecting everything from reproductive freedom to the right to free and fair elections. In Pennsylvania, voters made their voices heard by electing @JudgeMcCaffery.
Earlier this year, Democrats took control of the State Senate by one seat after winning a race by just 321 votes. It gave Democrats control of both chambers of the state legislature and the governor’s mansion.
Since then, Minnesota has made progress on a whole host of issues – from protecting abortion rights and new gun safety measures to expanding access to the ballot and reducing child poverty. These laws will make a real difference in the lives of Minnesotans.
This week's climate report from the IPCC is an urgent reminder of the limited window we have to deal with the climate crisis. In order to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees, it will require everyone to do their part. washingtonpost.com/climate-enviro…
The impacts of climate change are why we pushed so hard for the Paris Agreement during my time in office—no nation is immune from the harmful effects of this crisis and we all have a role to play in addressing it.
It's also important to note that @POTUS and his administration have taken historic steps that move us closer than before to meeting the moment. That should give us hope that more progress can be achieved.
Today marks two years since the Biden-Harris administration began. I’ve been reflecting on how fortunate we’ve been to have the steady leadership of @POTUS and @VP—and all the public servants working to deliver for folks across the country.
They’ve strengthened the Affordable Care Act. They’ve lowered health care costs for seniors. They’ve capped the costs of insulin. They’ve distributed hundreds of millions of free vaccines.
Under the leadership of the Biden-Harris administration, our economy has added more than 10.7 million jobs. President Biden also worked across the aisle to rebuild our infrastructure and invest in American manufacturing.