Obama and Bill Clinton Join Forces to Tout Health Care Law
President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton joined forces Tuesday to try to explain the intricacies of the Affordable Care Act and build support for the new law, which faces continued jabs from Republicans and skepticism among the public.
The two presidents shared a stage in New York at the Clinton Global Initiative conference one week before the law’s health-insurance exchanges are set to open. The exchanges have faced glitches ahead of the official Oct. 1 rollout, and Republicans have continued to pound away at the White House, seeking to delay or defund the law, known as Obamacare.
On Tuesday, Mr. Clinton played the role of interviewer, offering affirmation and encouraging the president to tout benefits of the law.
Saying that the Republican Party has made his signature legislation a litmus test for party loyalty, Mr. Obama said the GOP has launched an unprecedented effort to scare and discourage people from enrolling.
“Normally, this would be pretty straightforward,” he said. “A lot of people don’t have health insurance; a lot of people realize they should get health insurance. But let’s face it, it’s been a little political, this whole ‘Obamacare thing.’”
Mr. Obama mapped out the mechanics of the law, explaining the new health-insurance marketplaces that will offer coverage plans for many who do not have insurance. He addressed criticism of the employer mandate — which has been delayed by a year — and the requirement that everyone carry health insurance or face penalties.
“This is where a lot of the controversy and unpopularity came in because people generally don’t like to be told, ‘You’ve got to get health insurance,’” he said. “And employers don’t like to be told, ‘You’ve got to give your employees health insurance.’ But as a society, what we cannot do is to say: ‘You have no responsibilities whatsoever, but you’ve got guaranteed coverage.’”
Critics of the law say it is effectively a new tax on individuals and discourages employers from hiring full-time workers, among other concerns.
For his part, Mr. Clinton urged people to sign up, saying that the Affordable Care Act is “a big step forward for America.”
During the 2012 campaign, Mr. Clinton proved to be an effective surrogate for Mr. Obama. And as the rollout date for the Affordable Care Act has approached, the former president has been called upon again to help make the case for the law. Mr. Clinton spoke about the Affordable Care Act earlier this month in Arkansas, urging everyone to work together to implement it.
As Messrs. Clinton and Obama sat in armchairs, chatting about the health care law, Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) stood on the floor of the Senate, decrying the health care law in an extended speech that he vowed to continue until he was “no longer able to stand.”
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Wed Sep 25, 2013 7:49 am
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