Chris Kleponis/ZUMA
President Donald Trump slammed the Affordable Care Act on Monday as a “big, fat, ugly lie” and urged Republican senators to fulfill the party’s longstanding promise to repeal and replace the health care law.
“We as a party must fulfill that solemn promise to the voters of this country to repeal and replace,” Trump said at the White House, standing in front of three families supporting repeal efforts who were invited to appear during the televised remarks. “But so far, Senate Republicans have not done their job in ending the Obamacare nightmare.”
At one point, Trump falsely claimed his predecessor’s health care law had been in place for 17 years.
“Obamacare has broken our health care system,” he added. “It’s broken. It’s collapsing, it’s gone, and now it is up to us to get great health care for the American people.”
The president also took aim at Democrats and accused lawmakers across the aisle of obstructing progress on health care.
The Senate is scheduled to begin debating a health care bill on Tuesday, although it remains unclear which version of the legislation will be brought to the floor. Earlier on Monday, Trump warned Republicans that this will be their “last chance” to dismantle Obamacare.
Republicans have a last chance to do the right thing on Repeal & Replace after years of talking & campaigning on it.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2017
