House sends health law repeal to Obama for first time

WASHINGTON (AP) — After dozens of failed attempts to undo President Barack Obama's health care law, the GOP-led Congress finally put a bill on the president's desk striking at the heart of his signature legislative achievement.

Obama will veto the bill, and so the ultimate outcome will be the same as the many previous GOP attempts to repeal "Obamacare." But today's vote in the House will mark the first time such a bill makes it all the way to the White House.

Unlike past efforts that were blocked by Senate Democrats, this time the legislation was written under special rules protecting it from a Democratic filibuster. It passed the Senate late last year, and so today's House vote sent it straight to Obama.

House GOP leaders, opening their 2016 legislative session, said today's vote and Obama's subsequent veto will lay bare a stark choice between the parties in a presidential election year. The legislation also cuts federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton has decried the legislation while leading GOP candidates applaud it.

"It's up to the president to decide if he wants to side with the people whose health care costs have skyrocketed out of control, or the abortion industrial complex whose profits have skyrocketed out of control," said Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis. "Congress is holding President Obama accountable."