Failing to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act in the Senate would be "catastrophic," Sen. Ted Cruz said Saturday.

The Hill reported Cruz, R-Texas, said he anticipates passing the American Health Care Act, or another healthcare reform bill, through the Senate will be a difficult task with only 52 Republicans in the Senate.

However, he said because Republicans have been promising to do so for years, it would be bad for the party.

"For seven years the Republicans have been promising, 'If only you elect us, we'll repeal Obamacare,'" Cruz said to radio host Larry Kudlow. "I think the consequences of failure would be catastrophic. But it's going to take senators across the Republican conference being willing to sit down in good faith."

While the House passed the American Health Care Act on Thursday, the initial word from the Senate indicates the upper chamber is going to write its own version of the bill. That could lead to an intra-party fight in the Senate that then results in a fight with House Republicans when a finished bill would go to conference committee.

The amended bill has been praised by Republican lawmakers for ending some of the Affordable Care Act's more onerous taxes while directing more power over health insurance to the states. Democrats have condemned the bill as a way to strip 24 million Americans of their health insurance by 2026 and possibly pricing out many poorer Americans who have pre-existing illnesses

Cruz has been a hawk on repealing Obamacare, once leading a government shutdown in an attempt to get former President Barack Obama to repeal his own signature law. He acknowledged the road ahead is still difficult.

"In the Senate we have a difficult task ahead of us," Cruz said. "We have a very narrow majority. We have just 52 Republicans — hold at least 50 of those 52 Republicans to pass the bill."