By Illinois Radio Network

WASHINGTON – An emboldened Republican-led Congress has taken its first steps in trying to repeal Obamacare as the new session gets underway in Washington.

Repealing Obamacare will be easy. Replacing it will be hard. But can Congress replace the parts of the health care law that people don’t like and keep the parts people do?

U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, said repealing Obamacare is a foregone conclusion. He said it’ll happen quickly, within President-elect Trump’s first 100 days.

“People are demanding change,” LaHood said. “Our costs in Illinois have gone up about 44 percent across the board. Sometimes higher than that.”

Replacing Obamacare, however, will take some time.

Because, in-part, LaHood said Congress will have to change how the insurance market works.

“Being able to get insurance across the state lines. You’ll see that (in the repeal). Having more competition has to be in there,” LaHood said. “(But) the government can play a role in reining-in insurance companies.”

LaHood said people like Obamacare’s rules that require coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, and that parents can cover their children until age 26.

LaHood said a more open market may allow companies to find a way to make that work.

“It’s crazy that if you live in the Quad Cities that you can’t look for insurance on the Iowa side of the river,” LaHood said. “Same thing for folks in Danville on the Indiana side.”

LaHood added that while Congress can fix some issues with Obamacare, he said people are going to have to change their expectations about health care as well.