Sen. Cory Booker and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell are calling on New Jersey residents to sign up for insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

The Democratic senator and health secretary vowed to challenge plans by Republicans to dismantle the health care law while visiting Tops Diner in East Newark Wednesday.

"One thing that's important is to get the reality of what's happening in the marketplace and in health insurance in the country out [to the public]," said Secretary Burwell.

President-elect Donald Trump has said that he would repeal the Affordable Care Act once he is in office, but said that he may retain parts of it.

The health care law is often criticized for high out-of-pocket costs. Sen. Booker said that Republicans are threatening to repeal the law on the first day of the new Congress.

"The trap that they're in is that this is actually working for millions of Americans and they don't have a plan to replace it," Booker said.

Secretary Burwell has been touring the country to let people know about the health care law because she says about 28 million Americans are still uninsured.

Those who sign up for health care for next year will get to keep it, according to the secretary. She said insurers have told her that they will honor the health plans no matter what happens to the law under the Trump administration.

Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act goes until late January. But the deadline to sign up to be covered for 2017 is Thursday, Dec. 15.