Former President Obama issues a statement and credits supporters who helped derail Obamacare repeal

Former President Barack Obama is crediting everyone who “mobilized, organized and made their voices heard” for derailing Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Early Friday morning, with a deciding vote cast by John McCain (R-AZ), the so-called “Skinny Repeal” bill, put forward by the GOP to repeal Obamacare, failed to pass the Senate.

Republicans were downtrodden in their defeat, but Obama was thrilled that his landmark legislation was standing the test of time and praised the efforts of those who helped stop the repeal.

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In a statement issued through his spokesperson, Kevin Lewis, the former president’s feelings on the issue came through loud and clear.

“The Affordable Care Act has always been about something bigger than politics — it’s about the character of our country,” the statement said. “It’s about the 20 million Americans and counting who’ve gained the security and peace of mind of health insurance, and the tens of millions more who benefited from upgrades like free preventive care, such as mammograms and vaccines and improvements in the quality of care in hospitals that have averted more than 100,000 deaths so far.”

JUST IN: Statement from Kevin Lewis, Spokesperson to President Barack Obama pic.twitter.com/JROlNgrX2Z

— NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) July 28, 2017

Obama’s statement comes after a dramatic Thursday evening on the Senate floor, which culminated with a vote at approximately 1:30 a.m. EDT early Friday morning. Sen. McCain joined two other Republicans, Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-ME), with his vote against the repeal.