Former president Obama says latest GOP effort to overhaul Obamacare is 'aggravating'

Jessica Estepa | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Obama candid and frustrated about 'repeal and replace' At a recent Gates Foundation event, former president Barack Obama spoke candidly about being frustrated with watching the new administration try to undo Obamacare.

Former president Barack Obama said Wednesday that it's "aggravating" to watch as Republican senators work to dismantle his signature health care law.

Speaking before an event organized by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Obama acknowledged that the Affordable Health Care Act wasn't perfect and needed fixes. But he said it still increased the number of insured people and gave people with pre-existing conditions coverage.

"When I see people trying to undo that progress for the 50th or 60th time, with bills that would raise costs or reduce coverage, or rollback protections for older Americans or pre-existing conditions — the cancer survivor, the expecting mom or the child with autism or asthma, for whom coverage would once again be almost unattainable — it is aggravating," he said.

He continued: "And all of this being done without any economic or actuarial or plain common sense rationale...it frustrates, and it's certainly frustrating to have to mobilize every couple of months to keep our leaders from inflicting real human suffering on our constituents."

Obama's criticisms come as GOP senators work to push through the Obamacare overhaul known as the Graham-Cassidy bill. The legislation keeps much of the Obamacare tax structure intact, but gives money back to the states in the form of block grants and allows states to design their own health care systems.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of the lead sponsors, said Wednesday it was "unrealistic to expect President Obama would acknowledge his signature issue is failing."

The Trump administration supports the bill, but it's still unclear if Republicans will be able to meet the vote threshold they need to pass the legislation before the end of September. If they get to 50 votes, Vice President Pence can serve as the tie-breaker in favor of the legislation.

Still, Obama tried to put his optimistic spin on the situation.

Mobilizing, he said, is how progress is made.

"We have to stand up for each other, recognize progress is never inevitable, that it often can be fragile," he said. "It's in need of constant renewal, and our individual progress and our collective progress depends on our willingness to roll up our sleeves and work."

The former president tended toward this kind of hopeful rhetoric during his keynote at the event, as he said progress had come so far in his lifetime, even if it still had furhter to go. Obama never called out the administration directly, only telling the audience that they should reject cynicism and pessimism as they look to make a difference.

"I'm certain if you keep pushing forward, America and the world are going to be just fine," he said.

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