U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, faced a skeptical and at times testy crowd Tuesday as dozens of people arrived at an afternoon meeting to make sure he knew they would not let the Affordable Care Act end without a fight.

The hourlong session, tucked away in a back meeting room at The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce headquarters, was not publicly announced and was billed by Brady's staff as a chance for "local people affected by ObamaCare" to "share their experiences with rising costs and loss of coverage and choice."

Brady, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, is a vocal critic of the law known as Obamacare and is among the conservative congressional leaders determined to repeal it quickly and replace at an unspecified later date.

But if he was expecting a completely friendly, like-minded group, he quickly found something else from many in the 50 or so who crowded the room.

"Don't lie!" shouted Emily Hoppel, a 39-year-old with her 2-year-old son perched on her hip, when Brady moved from one goal of dismantling ACA to another of defunding Planned Parenthood, which he said used taxpayer money for abortion.

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"The Hyde Amendment," she sputtered, incredulously, as Brady continued to talk over her. Hoppel referred to the legislative provision that already prohibits the use of federal funds to pay for abortion.

"Well, we disagree on that," Brady said, his smile tightening but composure intact.

Hoppel, who does not get her insurance through the Affordable Care Act, believes access to health insurance and, by extension, health care, should be a "human rights issue."

In an impossible situation

Emotions have been rising across the nation in recent days, with battle lines clear, as the Republican-led Congress and President-elect Donald Trump are making good on their promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act. But such action throws into question what will happen to the estimated 20 million people who now have coverage because of it.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office on Tuesday estimated that 18 million Americans could lose coverage in the first year of repeal.

While Brady acknowledged that the law that has become the signature piece of President Barack Obama's legacy has helped some, he added, "It's hurt a lot, too."

"The Obama experiment has failed," he said, citing rising premiums and shrinking choices as insurers flee the exchanges in states like Texas and many providers are reluctant to accept ACA plans.

Brady called on Dan Altom, who runs a chain of three child-care centers, to discuss his experience of feeling squeezed by the ACA's requirement to provide a certain level of coverage for his 100 employees.

"We want to keep offering plans," Altom said after the meeting, adding that it is difficult to find a compliant plan that is affordable.

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He felt he was in an impossible situation: face going out of business because of the cost or be penalized for not providing employee coverage.

Tomi Phillips sees it through a different lens.

"I've had cancer twice. The last thing I need to worry about is losing health care," said the 65-year-old grandmother from The Woodlands. Although now eligible for Medicare, she said she was "kind of nervous about that, too."

'Where are the plans?'

In Congress some have recently indicated a willingness to overhaul and potentially dismantle that federal program as well.

Last week both houses of Congress voted to begin the framework to pick apart certain key provisions of the Affordable Care Act, setting in motion a budgetary action known as reconciliation that does not require a two-thirds majority.

But there seems to be less unity in the timeline both for the repeal and its replacement. Brady assured the crowd that repeal will be complete by next month with a new plan unveiled by the end of the year.

The actual implementation of any replacement plan, however, could take years. Brady said he favors a "stable and deliberate transition."

That timing could run afoul of Trump's promise for an "essentially simultaneous" repeal and replacement.

"Where are the plans?" came a call from the increasingly feisty gathering, many scowling and unmoved by Brady's assurance that better solutions are on the horizon. He chided the most vocal of the group to be more respectful.

The congressman said he favored the elimination of mandates that he said do not work and put undue burdens both on individuals and small businesses. He promised that the prohibition against denying someone coverage because of a pre-existing condition would remain and that children could still remain on their parents' plans until age 26.

'They should be passionate'

But some health economists are doubtful that, without the mandate to increase the risk pools, insurers would be able to offer plans that covered people no matter their health.

Brady countered that concern with a return of federally funded, state-run high-risk pools. Such plans would offer coverage for those with chronic or pre-existing conditions but could come at a higher price.

It was clear that local organizers of the event had not anticipated so much spontaneous dissent. Chamber CEO J.J. Hollie remarked at the beginning that the crowd was larger and more varied than expected, making a pointed comment that word must have seeped out on social media.

This was not the first meeting where elected officials who favor repealing the ACA have encountered unhappy constituents. A video of Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., sneaking out early of a town hall meeting has made the rounds of the internet. Frustration boiled over as those who opposed a repeal were unable to speak with him.

Brady, however, said he was not rattled by the surge of anti-repeal sentiment in the room.

"This is health care," he said. "They should be passionate."

Bridget Balch contributed to this report.