White House Touts Breaking Original Enrollment Target

The New York Times: Health Care Law Meets Goal Of 7 Million Enrollees
President Obama took to the White House Rose Garden on Tuesday to mark the administration’s success in signing up more than seven million people for private insurance under his health care law and to confront his political opponents who continue to press for the law’s repeal. "All told because of this law, millions of our fellow citizens know the economic security of health insurance who didn't just a few years ago," Mr. Obama said. "That's something to be proud of, regardless of your politics, or your feelings about me, or your feelings about this law. That's something that’s good for our economy, and it’s good for our country. There’s no good reason to go back" (Pear and Joachim, 4/1).

The Washington Post: More Than 7 Million Americans Have Enrolled Under Affordable Care Act, White House Says
The tally — 7.04 million — is based on the number of people who enrolled for coverage through the new federal insurance marketplace operating in three dozen states by the deadline of midnight on Monday, plus the enrollments from 14 state-run marketplaces as of March 30. Taken together, the enrollment reflects a late rush of consumers seeking coverage as the March 31 deadline approached. They lifted the enrollment beyond the level that federal officials have believed likely in recent months (Goldstein and Eilperin, 4/1).

Politico: Obama On ACA: 'Armageddon Has Not Arrived'
President Barack Obama celebrated the end of the Affordable Care Act’s first open enrollment period by announcing that at least 7.1 million Americans have signed up for insurance through exchanges. "No, the Affordable Care Act hasn’t fixed our long broken health care system, but this law has made our broken system a lot better," Obama said before a large and happy crowd Tuesday afternoon in the Rose Garden (Epstein and Dovere, 4/1).

The Wall Street Journal: Seven Million Sign Up For Health Care Coverage, White House Says 
The president defended the law more aggressively than he had in months, with new numbers showing the administration reached its goal of enrolling more than seven million people. He also lashed out at lawmakers' repeal effort, which has been led by Republicans. "In the end, history is not kind to those who would deny Americans their basic economic security," Mr. Obama said. "Nobody remembers well those who stand in the way of America's progress or our people. And that's what the Affordable Care Act represents. As messy as it's been sometimes, as contentious as it has been at times, it's progress." (Favole, Nelson and Radnofsky, 4/1).

Kaiser Health News: As Insurance Enrollment Exceeds 7M, Obama Says Health Law 'Here To Stay'
The Obama administration took a victory lap Tuesday as enrollment through the health law’s exchanges topped 7 million, a goal previously thought untouchable when the website healthcare.gov sputtered and crashed as sign-ups began last fall. In a statement in the Rose Garden, President Barack Obama, said, "The debate over repealing this law is over. The Affordable Care Act is here to stay" (Carey, 4/1). 

The Associated Press: Obama Celebrates 7.1 Million Health Care Sign-Ups
After facing a rocky start and chorus of naysayers who declared his health care law a failure, President Barack Obama on Tuesday celebrated a better-than-expected 7.1 million sign-ups for health coverage that he said should end the debate over whether the law should be repealed (Pickler, 4/1).

The Hill: White House Says More Than 7 Million Enrolled In ObamaCare
Hitting 7 million enrollments is a major symbolic achievement for the White House in an election year when Republicans have a good chance of taking the Senate. Democrats hope the high enrollment number will create a comeback narrative that candidates can use to fend off GOP healthcare attacks. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called the figure “heartwarming for those of us who worked so hard” to ensure that the controversial legislation passed through Congress (Viebeck and Sink, 4/1).

Los Angeles Times: White House: Obamacare Sign-Ups Exceed Goal Of 7 Million
But the president’s messaging machine was also shifting into gear for the next big challenge: persuading Americans of the healthcare law’s success before congressional elections this fall. While previously uninsured Americans are getting used to their new access to healthcare, the White House wants to drive home the message that the benefits may be at risk if Republicans are in charge (Parsons, 4/1).

Fox News: White House Runs 'Victory Lap' After 7M ObamaCare Sign-Ups, Republicans Renew Repeal Fight
Republicans, though, made clear the debate is not over. "Despite the White House 'victory lap,' this law continues to harm the American people," House Speaker John Boehner's spokesman Michael Steel said. The speaker also renewed his call for the law to be repealed and replaced (4/1).

NBCNews: Victory Lap: Obama Says Health Care Law Is 'Here to Stay'
The Census Bureau estimates that 47 million Americans went without health insurance last year, more than 15 percent of the population. The Affordable Care Act seeks to change that by providing federally subsidized insurance on the online exchanges (Fox, 4/1).