LARGO: US President Barack Obama lashed out at Republican opponents of the healthcare law he pioneered yesterday ahead of a key deadline for enrolment and vowed that he would stop attempts to get the programme bogged down in an ongoing budget stalemate.
In a feisty speech at a Washington-area college, Obama defended the 2010 Affordable Care Act against Republican critics who say it is an example of government gone too far.
“The Affordable Care Act is here to stay,” he said.
He singled out for ridicule a Republican state lawmaker who said the law is as destructive to personal liberty as the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which required captured runaway slaves to be sent back to their owners.
“Think about that: Affordable healthcare is worse than a law that let slave owners get their runaway slaves back,” Obama said. “All of this would be funny if it wasn’t so crazy.”
The Affordable Care Act, Obama’s signature achievement from his first term, is still regarded sceptically by a majority of Americans who worry that it will lead to higher healthcare costs and cut jobs.
It faces a crucial test starting Tuesday when Americans begin enrolling in exchanges through which they will be able to buy health insurance. Computer glitches are slowing the rollout in areas such as Washington DC, Colorado and Oregon. Reuters
