Rep. Trey Gowdy (R., S.C.) implored his Republican colleagues to craft a "transformational" bill to reform health care rather than the "skinny plan" that died in the Senate late Thursday night.
Gowdy told the hosts of "Fox and Friends" on Friday that Republicans relied too much on what they opposed rather than crafting a substantive plan. He said that they should think about how to approach health care policy at a fundamental level, and minor changes would not help.
"Our problem is that for seven years, we've been telling folks what we're against and what we're opposed to," he said. "And then we've had seven months to govern and the best we can come up with is a skinny plan on 24 hours notice?"
He located the problem in Republicans' inability to articulate their own beliefs on reforming health care.
"We've gotta get better at telling people what we believe, why we believe it, and then persuading them that it is right for the country," Gowdy said. "We've had plenty of time to do it, we set unrealistic expectations, and then we never meet them, which leads to anger and frustration."
"It's a complicated issue, but it's always been," he added.
Co-host Brian Kilmeade asked Gowdy if Republicans should move on, but Gowdy said they should remain resolute on repealing Obamacare.
"We gotta go back," he said. "It impacts 20 percent of the economy, it was a fundamental promise of the Trump campaign, and it desperately needs to be done. The Affordable Care Act is failing."
Again, he said that Republicans had to go back to their own principles to craft a bill.
"If you are going to fail, though, fail doing what you really fundamentally believe," Gowdy said. "I would propose changes that are transformational, and it's going to require persuading my fellow citizens including some independents and Democrats that this is best for the country."
"It's not gonna be done with 24 hours notice and a bill that's got the word skinny in it," he added.