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Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz on Tuesday morning said that lower income people who may be left uninsured under the Obamacare replacement plan will have to choose between buying a new iPhone and affording healthcare.
In an interview on CNN, Chaffetz, who is also the chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, was asked if the new plan — if it became law — could leave working class or poor people without insurance.
“Americans have choices. And they've got to make a choice,” Chaffetz said.
“So maybe rather than getting that new iPhone that they just love and they want to go spend hundreds of dollars on that, maybe they should invest in their own health care. They've got to make those decisions themselves.”
Chaffetz added that the replacement plan, dubbed the American Healthcare Act, will preserve certain aspects of the Affordable Care Act that Republicans “really do like,” such as the ban on denying coverage to people who have pre-existing conditions, and allowing people to stay on their parents’ plans until they turn 26.
As a member of Congress, Chaffetz has access to government healthcare. He also appears to have an Apple Watch, which would mean he likely has an iPhone.
Hours later, Chafettz appeared on Fox News to discuss his iPhone comment, saying, “maybe I didn't say it as smoothly as I could.”
“People need to make a responsible choice and I believe in self-reliance,” he said.
Fox News anchor Shannon Bream responded, “The phones are expensive. So are shoes.”
BuzzFeed News has reached out to Chaffetz’s office for comment.
Watch Chaffetz’s comments here.
LINK: Republicans Finally Unveil Their Obamacare Replacement Plan
LINK: Republicans’ Plan To Replace Obamacare Could Be A Tough Sell In Congress
LINK: The Republican Health Care Plan Includes A Tax Break For Insurance CEOs
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