Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) delivered the following remarks following the vote by House Republicans (and three Democrats) to repeal Obamacare, calling it an “important first step” and pledging to hold a vote in the Senate, even though Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) has dismissed the idea.:

“Republicans in the House of Representatives kept their promise to you by voting to repeal the Democrats’ health spending bill. 

“As one of their first acts since taking the majority, they voted to scrap this monstrosity before it does any more damage to our economy or to the care that patients receive. “Now they’ll work to replace it with commonsense, step-by-step reforms that actually lower costs. 

“They heard you when Democrats in Washington jammed this 2,700 page bill through Congress that increased costs, raised taxes, discourages job-creation, and cut Medicare. 

“And they heard you in November, when you told Washington you were sick of trillion dollar spending bills put together in the dead of the night and packed with sweetheart deals. 

“Republicans have been listening. And now they’re acting. 

“I want to congratulate our colleagues in the House on this important first step.

“I hope the Senate will soon follow suit with a vote of its own.  

“The Democratic leadership in the Senate doesn’t want to vote on this bill. But I assure you, we will. 

“We should repeal this law and focus on common sense steps that actually lower costs and encourage private sector job creation.

“That’s what Americans want. It’s the right thing to do.”