President Barack Obama on Friday vetoed legislation to repeal his healthcare law, saying the measure "would reverse the significant progress we have made in improving healthcare in America."
The veto was expected. But Republicans claimed victory with the vote, arguing that they met two goals by finally passing a repeal bill: keeping a promise to voters in an election year, and showing that they are capable of repealing the law if a Republican wins November's presidential election.
The issue is expected to be a factor in the campaign with Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton defending it against Republicans who argue the measure doesn't work.
Republican lawmakers have pushed many repeal measures since 2010, when Obama signed the healthcare, his signature domestic achievement, into law. This was the first of those bills to clear Congress and reach his desk.
In his veto message to Congress, Obama disagreed with critics of the measure. Obama said the Affordable Care Act includes fairer rules and stronger consumer protections "that have made healthcare coverage more affordable, more attainable and more patient-centered. And it is working."
The Senate passed the measure last year under special rules that protected it from Democratic delaying tactics and the House passed it this week.
