Barack Obama calls Affordable Care Act his defining achievement: ‘Helped 50, 60 million people’ | Today’s news
The Obama Presidential Center in Chicago marks what former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama describe as the culmination of a journey that began in the city and led to the White House. In their first interview together since leaving office in 2017, the couple told ABC News that the center is meant less as a retrospective tribute and more as a catalyst for civic inspiration.
‘Not an exercise in nostalgia’: Obama sets tone for museum
Speaking on ABC News’ special “The Obama Legacy: First Joint Interview Post-White House,” Barack Obama said the center is designed to avoid sentimentality about his presidency.
“I’m not interested in the center and the exhibits being an exercise in nostalgia,” he said. “What I want people to feel when they walk through here is, ‘Oh, it was possible, which means I can do it.’
He added that the goal is to leave visitors with a sense of possibility rooted in real experience rather than political memory.
An $850 million campus rooted in Chicago history
The Obama Presidential Center is located on 19 acres in Jackson Park near the University of Chicago and cost approximately $850 million to build. The complex includes a park, public auditorium, Obama Foundation offices, athletic facilities, public art installations, and a branch of the Chicago Public Library.
Its main attraction is a four-story museum that situates Obama’s presidency in the broader context of American history, including the Declaration of Independence, the civil rights movement, labor struggles and the political journey in Chicago that launched his career.
Developed in partnership with the National Archives and Records Administration, the Presidential Archives are fully digital.
‘That’s our best story’: Obama on democracy and opportunity
Barack Obama said the museum is meant to emphasize the idea that individuals from all backgrounds can shape a nation’s history.
“That’s what I want people to understand in 50 years,” he said. “That’s our best story. That’s the thing we have to not only hold on to, but fight for.”
He emphasized that the center is designed to encourage future leadership rather than merely commemorate past achievements.
Citizen letters shaped Obama’s experience in the White House
One of the most personal exhibits, Obama said, includes letters sent by ordinary Americans during his presidency. He told ABC News that he read and answered ten letters every night while in office.
“I didn’t just want fan mail. I wanted letters that reflected what people were saying and how they were feeling,” he said.
Considering the issues raised in those letters, including school shootings and rising food prices, Obama said the experience strengthened the leadership’s responsibility.
“It was a privilege and a responsibility,” he said, adding, “And you just don’t want to let people down.”
Affordable Care Act highlighted as defining success
When asked about his most significant accomplishment, Barack Obama cited the Affordable Care Act, which was passed in March 2010.
“Despite all the opposition from our political opposition, the Affordable Care Act has now helped 50, 60 million people,” he said, adding that it continues to benefit Americans despite efforts to weaken it.
He also pointed to the broader tone of his administration, saying it aims to represent all Americans, including political opponents.
“Ultimately, if we get that part of our democracy right, we can solve a lot of the problems we face,” he said.
‘Encourage the next generation’: Obama considers post-presidential role
Barack Obama said that one of the main goals of the presidential center is to motivate young generations to get involved in public life.
“People are a bit disgusted now,” he said. “But again, I believe we go through these cycles and a younger generation will emerge and leaders will emerge.
He described his post-presidential role as advisory rather than active.
“These days I see myself as less of a ‘player’ and more of a ‘coach,'” he said, adding that he selectively engages in public debates.
He also mentioned George Washington’s decision to retire from political life after his presidency.
Michelle Obama on ‘hope and change’ in divided times
Michelle Obama told ABC News that the ideals associated with Barack Obama’s political rise remain relevant despite growing polarization.
“People have to have enough. They have to want more,” she said.
She added that the presidential center is meant to serve as a reminder of how change can still happen in American democracy.
“I think the presidential center will hopefully remind people how close we are to moving this country in the direction we want to move it,” she said.
The First Black First Family and Historical Reflection
Michelle Obama also pointed to an exhibit about the Obamas’ historic role as the first black family in the United States.
“You have one exhibit where people thought it could never happen,” she said, referring to the idea of a black family in the White House.
“That America would never accept it,” she added. “And lo and behold, the vast majority of the country believes otherwise.
Democracy, dissent and the ballot box
Barack Obama used the interview to emphasize the role of democratic participation and elections in resolving political conflict.
“The premise of this country is that everybody has the right to say, ‘No, I don’t agree with that,'” he said.
“And then we have a conversation about it, and then it’s resolved in the election,” he added, calling voting the ultimate accountability mechanism.
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