U.S. President-elect Donald Trump listens to questions from reporters in the lobby at Trump Tower in New York, U.S., January 9, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Segar

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump urged congressional Republicans to repeal Obamacare immediately on Tuesday, saying there was no cause for delay and that a replacement plan should follow the repeal within weeks, according to an interview with the New York Times.

“We have to get to business. Obamacare has been a catastrophic event,” Trump was quoted as saying in the Times. He said he wanted a repeal vote next week and said he would not accept a delay of more than a few weeks for a replacement.