US congressman stirs backlash over healthcare versus iPhone comment

epa05541578 A new iPhone 7 smartphone on display at the Apple Store in Sydney, Australia, 16 September 2016. The iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus and Apple Watch Series 2 have been released for sale in Australia. EPA/JOEL CARRETT AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT

WASHINGTON: A Republican congressman who said on March 7 that some Americans should choose between spending on a new iPhone and healthcare sparked a social media backlash from people who accused him of being out of touch. 

Representative Jason Chaffetz of Utah stepped into a minefield on CNN as he defended a Republican plan in the House of Representatives that would replace the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare. The plan would replace Obamacare's income-based subsidies to buy insurance with tax credits, and eliminate a requirement that most Americans obtain medical insurance.