Vice President-elect Mike Pence declared Wednesday during a press conference that repealing and replacing Obamacare is the "first order of business" for the new Congress and incoming Trump administration.
Pence held the press conference on Capitol Hill after meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) and the rest of the chamber's Republican Caucus to discuss ways to repeal the Affordable Care Act. President Obama met earlier in the day with Democratic lawmakers to strategize how to defend his chief health care law from efforts to repeal it.
"We're just 16 days away from when we'll make America great again," Pence said, thanking Senate Republicans for taking the time to meet with him Wednesday afternoon.
Detailing how the Trump administration would approach repealing President Obama's signature legislative achievement, Pence said he and President-elect Donald Trump are already working with congressional Republicans on a budget resolution that would begin the Obamacare repeal process. He also said Trump has looked into executive orders he can sign to ensure that there will be a smooth transition process from Obamacare to a more free-market based health care system.
"The president-elect and I are working with the leaders of the House and Senate and are determined to keep our promise to the American people, and that all begins with repealing and replacing the failed policy of Obamacare," Pence told reporters.