'Congress needs to do their job now': Mike Pence demands GOP 'repeal now and replace later'

Vice President Mike Pence played a pivotal role in the legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Two Republicans said that they would not vote for the GOP health plan, effectively killed the bill.

Mitch McConnell blamed Democrats for the failure of the bill, despite the fact that Republicans hold the majority in the House and Senate. Democrats have long held that they want to work to fix Obamacare, not completely repeal and replace as the GOP has pledged to their supporters they'd do.

Trump has "signed more laws than any president in history," according to Mike Pence, speaking at National Retail Federation’s annual Retail Advocates Summit Tuesday. It was a factually inaccurate statement.

Pence later said to lukewarm applause that every day Obamacare survives is another day the American economy and American families struggle. He blasted the law and "broken promises" made by lawmakers, which many states refused to even enact.

He repeated similar comments by McConnell saying that each statistic reveals a name and a story dealing with healthcare struggles. Those statistics also reveal that the majority of Americans oppose the GOP plan and overwhelmingly support Obamacare.

"Obamacare has failed and Obamacare must go," Pence said. He went on to thank and congratulate McConnell and some Republicans who supported the president's efforts.

"President Trump and I fully support the majority leader's decision to move forward with a bill that just removes Obamacare and gives Congress time, as the president said, to start with a clean slate," Pence said.

He heralded the 2015 law passed by the House and Senate that was vetoed by former President Barack Obama. According to the CBO score, that bill would cut 32 million off of healthcare and double premiums for Americans. Despite passing in 2015, that law is not expected to pass the Senate either. If the law were to be repealed now and replaced later the CBO predicts 18 million in the first year would be kicked off of health insurance and 32 million by 2026. Kaiser Family Foundation also predicts a significant spike in premiums as people rush out of the market.

"Congress needs to step up and do their job and Congress needs to do their job now!" Pence said.

Already Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) has said she's out.

As has Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).

You can watch the speech below:

'Congress needs to do their job now': Mike...by sarahburris