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Well said, Jimmy, former President Barack Obama tweeted. | Getty

Former President Barack Obama took to Twitter on Tuesday afternoon to defend his signature legislative achievement, praising late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel for blasting Republicans efforts to weaken Affordable Care Act protections for people with pre-existing conditions.

The late-night host used his Monday night monologue to recount his newborn sons emergency surgery. The infant had a heart condition that would likely prevent him from getting health coverage or make his health costs insurmountable for many American families under the GOP health care repeal plan.

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Before 2014, if you were born with congenital heart disease like my son was, there was a good chance you would never be able to get health insurance because you were born with a pre-existing condition, Kimmel said.

No parent should ever have to decide if they can afford to save their child's life, a crying Kimmel added.

Well said, Jimmy. That's exactly why we fought so hard for the ACA, and why we need to protect it for kids like Billy. And congratulations! Obama tweeted Tuesday.

The latest iteration of the GOP repeal bill would allow states to waive protections for pre-existing conditions if they create high-risk pools or similar financial backstops to cover people with expensive medical conditions.

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But these high-risk pools, used by about three dozen red and blue states before the Affordable Care Act, were largely unsuccessful, leaving many people with cancer, diabetes and other expensive diseases with inadequate coverage, or none at all.

Obama last broke his silence on the ACA repeal effort in late March, when the House appeared poised to vote on a repeal package. The former president described Obamacare as a watershed moment in determining that health care is a right for everybody.

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Obama tweets praise for Kimmel's slam of GOP repeal bill - Politico