Transcript for House passes Obamacare replacement bill

This is an ABC news special room. George Stephanopoulos. And we're coming on the air right now because the House of Representatives voting on repeal of obamacare there is the vote count right now takes tuning sixteen votes to see that bottom left hand corner. Two and sixteen yes votes in order pass this pass this bill would be a dramatic change. In health care how Americans get health insurance and health care coverage seven years in the making. For Republicans they need 216. Votes in order pass this bill remember 76 weeks ago they did not have. The votes had to pull the bill from the floor right now they are one votes toward very it is the 216. Votes they need to pass this bill and it appears. With the clock running out there that the Republican Party hack in the House of Representatives has passed. The repeal of obamacare let's tell you what this can mean it would be historic and dramatic transformation. In health insurance coverage health care for most Americans it would end. The individual and employer mandates passed by President Obama back in 2010 and the subsidies is well replace them with fewer. Tax credits it also eliminates. Almost 900 billion dollars. In taxes. Passed by President Obama who go largely to the wealthy. And takes almost a trillion dollars a little over a trillion dollars from health care benefits for the poor in the middle class most of that. Coming from the Medicaid expansion to thirty states expands health savings. Accounts as well our ministry to our chief White House correspondent Jon Karl's we keep our eye on that right there. On the house on house representatives where they have now 217. Votes enough to pass that bill only twenty no votes on the Republican side. A big win for speaker of the house Paul Ryan and president trumped John. It incredibly close vote but a big win for the president and this is one Georgia where it look like he had lost. He was about to do this in March didn't have the votes they pulled the bill they tried again to do it last week pulled the bill before they got to a vote. This was the president bringing a back back a bill that many including many in his own party Republican leadership on Capitol Hill. Had essentially thought was dead and gone his first major. Legislative victory but George. This is also something. That he will have to defend in the years that come very interest thing. Speech on the floor right before the vote came from Nancy Pelosi who said Republicans will have the provisions of this bill tattooed to the. Air and never had a very you have to defend their we have it right there the gavel comes down. The bill has passed 217 yes votes. Right they have for the repeal of obamacare want to go to Mary Bruce is right off. That floor of the house right there we heard the cheers go up there Mary we're just talking about president trump this victory for president trump a big victory as well for the speaker of the house Paul Ryan. And they really rallied their troops together in these final hours and days. Absolutely George this is that day seven years in the making for house Republicans the huge day for speaker Ryan we heard him on the floor just moments ago giving an impassioned speech trying to rally all of these troops saying that this. Is a day where they can deliver on their central promise to the American people in fact noting that many of them many Republicans were sent here to Washington. Took the field this pledge I have to tell you have been able to feel the electricity here all morning long Republican meeting this morning got a bit like a pep rally they were trying to pump themselves up playing that theme song from rocky now this is an incredibly close though it came down to the wire and we should note this is really just the first big step here. This now will go on to the senate where it faces a huge uphill battle. That was the point the democratic leader Nancy Pelosi was making merry Bruce that this is gonna get changed a lot in the senate. And and the vote was taken our stay with Mary for just a second vote was taken despite the fact that most members had not read what was in the bill. And they had not been scored by the Congressional Budget Office we know before the changes were made. From that bill six weeks ago that the Congressional Budget Office said that this bill. Would cost 24 million Americans health insurance over the next ten years. Yet in many ways a lot of members here flying blind today voting on a bill that hasn't yet been fully scored that means that we don't know get the full impact on Americans how many. Could stand to lose coverage or how much it what this will cost now. Many Republicans that I've spoken with today say we'll they have that original score even though some of those numbers were pretty shocking 24 million more. Uninsured over the next decade 337. Billion seed from the deficit but they say that they they have made just a few amendments a couple of changes in spending field because they have that original score this bill at least we'll be in the same ballpark George. And we now know buses are lining up in the capitol house Republicans and heading into the White House for the president trump is calling a press conference in the Rose Garden here with our senior White House correspondent to see they the president also come in New York. Later K which is why you're here right now a big personal effort by the president this week as well. Exactly we are told by the White House that he made between fifteen and twenty calls to house members. He himself some of them telling us that he was personally responsible for flipping these no votes into the yes camp. This is right now redemption for president trump he was on the line going into this he wanted this passed before. His first hundred days they were pushing despite what they said behind the scenes they were pushing privately to get this vote on that floor sooner than it actually came up. And we know that now he's got this. Delayed trip to New York because he's back at the White House hoping to celebrate with some of these numbers but look you know you heard Mary talk about what's to come next when will Lindsey Graham today tweeting. That he didn't it should be viewed with caution this is not a done deal the White House may be celebrating today but they've got a long road. Hatch RNN and Jonathan Carr chief White House correspondent as well one of the big questions here's what kind of involvement the White House and the president are gonna have as this goes. To the senate in these final days the president is calling people land. Also causing some confusion. With his public statements in one of the questions all the senators are gonna face and eventually the house members. Again as well is whether the bill their passing can meet the rhetoric. They variation here they talk about. And a big piece of with a big promise the president made over and over again not to touch the provision that guarantees. Coverage for those with preexisting conditions. Odd the president was incredibly involved as you heard Cecilia talk about in getting this over the line. In the house. My sense is that as this goes to the senate you'll see us senate Republicans take the lead in trying to address the concerns that various senators have they have to get. Almost unanimous support for this. In the senate they're only 52 Republicans. They need fifty to pass it us Susan Collins of Maine is already. Almost a guaranteed no vote because this bill would defund Planned Parenthood something she opposes so there's very little margin for error in the senate. And Mary Bruce is it goes over to the senate as well there's going to be a lot more focus on what exactly is in this house so by the time it goes to the senate we will have to convert Congressional Budget Office war. We will have more indications. What this is gonna mean for the preexisting conditions and to try to explain that a little bit for people as well in order to get the votes from the conservatives. In the house that where men and basically waive the requirements states could opt out. And this preexisting. Condition requirement but then one of the moderate Republicans hide that Republican from Michigan. Fred Upton came in and and got them to add some eight billion dollars that would go to these pools in the states to help pay for those who might. Lose their coverage or might have higher costs. Under this the question is going to be is that going to be enough in the senate is that really I guarantee that those with preexisting conditions will get coverage. Absolutely and so many medical experts say that that additional eight billion dollars over five years to help cover Americans with pre existing conditions simply is in a not so many groups coming out against that amendment saying that it's just a drop in the bucket now course as you mentioned we don't really know the full impact. Of that changed just yet but we will know it by the time senators get a look at this and they are likely to pick that apart to see what real impact it will have. There are also add lot of concerns about whether. Prices will skyrocket for people with preexisting conditions and took the real impact of this remains unknown of course senators also likely to scrutinize every aspect of this bill everything from Medicaid to how. Americans will pay for this coverage this is really going to be ripped apart and looked at quite closely George. Questions also since they they about the political impact you're coming into this and you almost revered the Democrat and an explosion almost taunting the Republicans there. The polling show that this repeal is not popular people were concerned they could lose their coverage. Eight and you hear this every day from people out in the field I was just in Atlanta last week and was talking with the voters there. And people have real questions about how this impacts them. Does this impact people women who were pregnant does this impact people who have cancer and these are questions that we don't know the answers to yet. They do have heard the president over and over and over. Say that he wanted to protect pre existing conditions and then you saw that waffle on that over the course of the last few weeks conflicting messages coming out of the White House. And let's not forget this is a president who said that he didn't realize how tough. Health care would be to fight so we are seeing him learn this in real time just how tough politically this is it has been for him knowing what we're. Just answer many more challenges ahead. Many more questions for every American. Who cares about their health care as well but a big first step. For the house representatives and the Republicans today they they have just passed the repeal of obamacare they're heading out down the White House to celebrate with president trump. We'll be back have a good day. This has been a special room. For me he's.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.