Congress has started the process of dismantling Obamacare, despite concerns about not having a ready replacement and the potential financial cost of repealing Democratic President Barack Obama's landmark health insurance law.
The House of Representatives voted 227-198 to instruct committees to draft legislation by January 27 that would repeal the 2010 Affordable Health Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare. The Senate approved the same measure on Thursday.
No Democrats supported the initiative. Nine Republicans voted against the measure.
With this vote, Republicans began delivering on their promise to end Obamacare, which also was a campaign promise of Republican President-elect Donald Trump.
The programme, which expanded health coverage to 20 million people, has been plagued by increases in insurance premiums and deductibles and by some large insurers leaving the system.