Obama, Biden reunite at White House

US: Former President Barack Obama returned to the White House on on Monday for the first time since leaving office in 2017 to tout the benefits of his signature healthcare law and bolster his friend and former governing partner, President Joe Biden.

Obama arrived in the East Room to robust cheers from the assembled crowd of Congress members and administration staffers, and remarked on the changes that had been made in the White House since he was last there ― notably the arrival of a feline.

“There’s a cat running around,” he said to laughter, “which I guarantee you Bo and Sunny would have been very unhappy about,” referring to his family’s dogs.

Obama jokingly referred to Biden as “Vice President” before correcting himself, inspiring a salute from Biden, then offered broad praise of the Affordable Care Act, whose passage he described as a “high point” of his time in office.

“If you can get millions of people health coverage and better protection, it is, to quote a famous American, a pretty … big deal,” Obama said to hoots of laughter from the crowd, referencing an off-color Biden remark picked up by a hot mic when the law was signed. Biden, who hosted Obama for lunch, joked that the two men did not know who should sit where when they dined, and lauded Obama for his leadership on the healthcare law.

“The Affordable Care Act has been called a lot of things but Obamacare is the most fitting,” Biden said.

Obama and Biden became friends during Obama’s time in office, meeting for lunch weekly. Their families became close and Obama spoke at the funeral of Biden’s son, Beau.

White House Spokesperson Jen Psaki said Obama and Biden had an expansive conversation and a walk. “They did go take a look at the Oval Office and take a walk around, and I know they enjoyed spending time together,” she said. – THE MALAY MAIL