Funny moment Barack Obama called Joe Biden 'vice president' during his visit to the White House
President Barack Obama returned to the White House Tuesday to savor the 12th anniversary of his signature Affordable Care Act, which is now part of the fabric of the American health care system and whose reach President Joe Biden is looking to extend. Sign-ups under the health law have increased under Biden's stewardship, and more generous taxpayer subsidies have cut costs for enrollees, albeit temporarily. Obama's last time in the mansion was Jan. 20, 2017, when he left to escort his successor, a president-elect bent on overturning "Obamacare," to the Capitol to be inaugurated. "It's good to be back in the White House. It's been a while," Obama said in the East Room after he was introduced by Vice President Kamala Harris. He opened by referring to Biden as "vice president" before acknowledging the joke and embracing his former No. 2. Obama said he and Biden accomplished "a lot" in their eight years as stewards of the country, but "nothing made me prouder than providing better health care and more protections to millions of people across this country." Biden and Obama marked the 12th anniversary of the law, which back in 2010 the then-vice president had memorably called a "big (expletive) deal." Its staying power has been enhanced by three Supreme Court victories and an emphatic thumbs-down vote by the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., which took the wind out of President Donald Trump's efforts to repeal and replace it. The law was such a bugaboo in 2010 that Democrats rarely invoked it as they went into a midterm election that turned out to be, in Obama's own words, a "shellacking." Now, Democrats are hoping the political equation will work to their advantage, and that a focus on shoring up the tween-age health law can help them avoid a debacle at the polls this November. "ACA hasn't just survived, it's pretty darn popular," Obama said. "And the reason is because it's done what it was supposed to do. It's made a difference. First, 20 million and now 30 million people have gotten covered thanks to the ACA." Shortly after taking office, Biden opened up the health insurance markets to anyone seeking coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic, and his coronavirus relief bill provided a significant, though temporary, increase in financial assistance. The result was a record 14.5 million people signed up for subsidized private coverage. In addition to talking health care at the White House, Biden and Obama met over lunch, recalling their weekly ritual when Biden served as Obama's vice president. Subscribe to the Evening Standard on YouTube: / @thelondonstandard
