Dem candidates lean on Obama in final stretch of campaign as Obamacare premiums prepare to spike
Former President Barack Obama is stepping back into the political arena this weekend to lend his support to Democratic candidates Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill, who are vying for governorships in Virginia and New Jersey, respectively. Obama will kick off his campaign efforts at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, before heading to Newark for a get-out-the-vote rally for Sherrill. This re-emergence as a campaign closer comes at a critical time for the Democratic Party, particularly as the nation grapples with a government shutdown that threatens to impact one of Obama’s key legislative achievements: the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as “Obamacare.”
The current government shutdown is centered around the expiration of subsidies that help lower-income Americans afford health insurance through the ACA. Democrats are adamant that they will not support any efforts to reopen the government without an extension of these subsidies, which are vital for many Americans. Senator Chuck Schumer highlighted the dire consequences of failing to extend these ACA premium tax credits, warning that some families could see their insurance premiums triple. Since its inception in 2010, Obamacare has been a contentious issue, with Democrats touting its benefits while Republicans criticize its impact on healthcare costs and quality. As the deadline for open enrollment approaches on November 1, the Kaiser Family Foundation has projected a significant rise in insurance premiums for 2026, further complicating the landscape for Democrats as they seek to defend Obama’s legacy amidst ongoing partisan disputes.
As Obama rallies support for Spanberger and Sherrill, he finds himself in a position where he must not only bolster Democratic prospects but also address the criticisms surrounding his healthcare initiative. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that extending the expiring subsidies could add approximately $350 billion to the deficit over the next decade, complicating the narrative for Democrats who are advocating for a solution to the ongoing budget crisis. With both parties entrenched in their positions, and the ACA under scrutiny, Obama’s campaign efforts will be crucial in shaping public perception and energizing the Democratic base as they navigate these pressing challenges.
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Former President
Barack Obama
is hitting the campaign trail this weekend in an attempt to shore up support for Democrats, Reps. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., and Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., who are running for governor in their respective states.
Obama will join Spanberger at Old Dominion University in Norfolk in the morning before heading to Newark to stump for Sherrill at a get-out-the-vote rally later in the afternoon.
The former president is reprising his role as campaign closer as he remains the most widely recognized leader in the Democratic Party. This latest re-emergence, however, comes as the country reels from a protracted
government shutdown
over the last remaining piece of his legacy, the Affordable Care Act, more popularly known as “Obamacare.”
With
Obamacare subsidies
expiring in December, Democrats have made it clear they will not vote to reopen the government without extending the subsidies.
‘THE PANDEMIC’S OVER’: GOP, DEM SENATORS SPAR ON CAMERA OVER COSTLY OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES
Since its enactment, Obamacare has offered subsidies in the form of tax credits for health insurance premiums on plans purchased through the ACA’s exchanges based on enrollees’ income levels. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress enacted enhanced premium tax credits in 2021 that were extended by Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act through the end of 2025 — with the policy now caught up in the shutdown debate.Â
In a floor speech just a few days into the shutdown, Senate Minority Leader
Chuck Schumer
, D-N.Y., proclaimed that “if these ACA premium tax credits aren’t extended, the average fifty-five-year-old couple making $85,000 a year would see their premiums not just double, but triple to $25,000 a year.”
“That is all Democrats want to fix. We are on the side of the people. The people know it and want it and need it,” said Schumer.
When former President Barack Obama signed the legislation into law in 2010, he promised it would “lower costs for families and for businesses and for the federal government, reducing our deficit by over $1T in the next two decades.”
Obama also promised that “ten years from now, people will look back and say, this was the right thing to do.”
NO 2 HOUSE DEMOCRAT SAYS HEALTHCARE DRIVES PARTY’S STRATEGY AS SHUTDOWN HEADS INTO NEXT WEEK
But now, over ten years later, Republicans argue Obamacare has done the opposite, lowering the quality of healthcare while increasing insurance premiums and the deficit.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told FOX Business, “Look at how much this is all costing us. Obamacare was sold on a lie. The costs have skyrocketed.”
“Obama promised you wouldn’t lose your doctor. Well, you did. You wouldn’t lose your plan, you did. You were supposed to save $2,500 a family, that was a lie. You were supposed to save over a hundred million dollars of our federal budget,” said Scott.
About 24 million Americans are enrolled in health insurance plans and open enrollment for 2026 opens on Nov. 1, with insurers notifying members about increases in insurance premiums that are coming next year.Â
TheÂ
Kaiser Family Foundation
 (KFF) estimates that health insurance premiums through the Obamacare exchanges are set to increase 26% on average in 2026. On state-operated ACA exchanges, the average benchmark (or second-lowest cost) silver tier premium that’s used to calculate the tax credit is set to rise 17%, whereas states using Healthcare.gov are rising 30% on average, according to KFF.
OBAMA THE ‘CAMPAIGN CLOSER’ FOR DEMOCRATS IN TOP 2025 ELECTIONS AS PARTY AIMS TO REBOUND
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) finds extending the expiring premiums would increase the deficit by roughly $350 billion through 2035, while the Washington Post reports that average Obamacare premiums are set to rise 30% next year.
Thus, while Obama re-enters the political scene to
boost Democrats
, he may also have to defend his own legacy as the shutdown enters its second month, and critical federal agencies begin to buckle under the pressure of having to operate without funding.
