Former President Obama on Thursday issued a lengthy defense of his signature healthcare law hours before Republicans are expected to vote on a plan to scrap it.
“America is stronger because of the Affordable Care Act,” Obama said in a statement, which marked the seventh anniversary of the law’s passage.
The former president ran through a laundry list of the law’s achievements, such as lowering the uninsured rate and strengthening consumer protections.
{mosads}He did not make direct mention of the GOP’s repeal and replace effort but said that any changes to ObamaCare should “make our healthcare system better, not worse for hardworking Americans.”
Democrats are turning to Obama’s team to rally opposition to the Republican healthcare plan, which would dismantle the core provisions of the Affordable Care Act and replace it with a more conservative system centered around tax credits to help people buy insurance.
Opponents have decried the measure, saying it would leave millions more uninsured and disproportionately hurt the lower and middle classes.
A day earlier, former Vice President Joe Biden appeared at a rally with House Democrats against the measure.
Ex-presidents typically allow their successors time and space to carry out their agenda. Obama said at his final news conference in January he wished to do the same but made it clear he wouldn’t be afraid to jump back into the political debate on some issues “where I think our core values may be at stake.”
Obama’s office later that month cheered protests against President Trump’s first travel ban.