Washington.- The former president Barack Obama He returned to the White House on Tuesday for the first time since leaving office in 2017 to promote the benefits of the health law and reinforce his friend and former government partner, the president. Joe Biden.
Obama arrived in the East Room to the cheers of a crowd of congressmen and officials. He commented on the changes that had been made to the White House since the last time he was there, in particular the arrival of a cat.
“Bo and Sunny would have been very happy,” he joked, referring to his family’s dogs.
Obama jokingly referred to Biden as “vice president” before correcting himself.
“If you can get millions of people to have health coverage and better protection, that’s, to quote a famous American, a pretty … big deal,” Obama said to laughter from the crowd, referring to a bawdy comment. of Biden picked up by a microphone when the law was signed.
Biden, who hosted Obama at the luncheon, joked that they weren’t sure who should sit where when they ate, and praised the former president for his leadership on the health care law.
“The Affordable Care Act has been called many things, but obama care is the most appropriate,” Biden said.
While Obama remains a popular figure, Biden faces moribund public approval ratings, in part due to high inflation and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
As a result, Democrats face the risk of losing control of at least one, if not both, houses of Congress in November, putting a damper on Biden’s legislative agenda.