US president vetoes bill aimed to repeal Obamacare

WASHINGTON

President Barack Obama on Friday vetoed a bill aimed at repealing his landmark health care plan.

The president’s move came after the House of Representatives earlier this week approved the measure with a 240-181 vote, largely along party lines, that prevents taxpayer money from going to Planned Parenthood and guts the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare.

Planned Parenthood provides health services to women, including abortions. The group is a frequent target of Republicans who accused the it of providing fetal tissue for research. The charge has been widely disputed.

"Republicans in the Congress have attempted to repeal or undermine the Affordable Care Act over 50 times," Obama said in his veto message. "Rather than refighting old political battles by once again voting to repeal basic protections that provide security for the middle class, members of Congress should be working together to grow the economy, strengthen middle-class families, and create new jobs."

Last June, the Supreme Court ruled that federal subsidies offered under the act were legal, helping to keep coverage affordable for citizens in 34 states and saving the bill from a potentially fatal blow.

House Speaker Paul Ryan vowed to continue the effort to repeal one of Obama’s defining accomplishments.

"The people deserve a truly patient-centered health care system, and ultimately, this is going to require a Republican president," he said following Tuesday vote.

The bil had already passed in the Senate late last year.