Ed. note: as expected, Obama vetoed the bill.

The Affordable Care Act is insuring more Texans and saving the state money. So why do Republicans want to repeal it?

At the start of 2016, Texas Republicans in Congress voted yet again (we're over 60 votes now) to repeal the Affordable Care Act. This is despite the fact that repealing the ACA would leave 19 million Americans uninsured. Such a drastic change would then force premiums to skyrocket for everyone else.

Meanwhile, the GOP knows that President Obama will veto the bill to repeal the ACA - which is probably good for them, since they have no plan to replace the ACA with anything else. Thus their only policy platform remains the "don't get sick" option. Which, for any human, isn't an option.

Even here in Texas, where we have refused to expand Medicaid, the benefits of the Affordable Care Act are clear:

• 700,000 fewer Texans were uninsured last year thanks to the ACA (Source: Texas Well & Healthy)
• The ACA saved the Texas budget $100 million in the last legislative session (Source: Texas Tribune)
• No Texan can be denied health coverage due to a pre-existing condition

Unfortunately, Texas Republicans have shown a remarkable indifference to Texans who lack health coverage. It got so bad in the last legislative session that the Texas GOP actually blocked the very proposal they claimed was needed to reduce the number of uninsured Texans.

Thankfully, President Obama will veto the bill that Congress just sent him to repeal the ACA.

But President Obama will only be president for one more year - yet another reason why the 2016 election will be critical for our country's future.