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The Most Satisfying Responses To The AHCA's Withdrawal

by Morgan Brinlee
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

In a major blow to President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan, senior House Republican leaders opted to pull legislation aimed at repealing and replacing Obamacare from consideration in the House of Representatives on Friday. Despite days of tense negotiations and threats from the president, Republicans were unable to drum up enough support within their own party for the American Health Care Act (AHCA) to survive a House vote. But while senior members of the GOP went home in defeat, other responses to the news the AHCA was withdrawn from consideration ranged from celebratory statements and cheeky memes to a literal jump for joy outside the U.S. Capitol.

After days of negotiating with conservative and moderate Republicans, multiple news outlets reported Trump and Ryan had failed to change enough "no" votes into "yes" votes to ensure their health care legislation would pass. Although Ryan had hoped his efforts to dismantle former President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act would begin with the AHCA passing the House on the seventh anniversary of Obamacare's passage, the vote, initially scheduled for Thursday, was pushed to Friday as senior GOP leaders scrambled to woo the needed votes in eleventh-hour negotiations. On Friday, however, it became clear the votes were not going to appear and the bill was withdrawn from consideration in what Democrats hailed as a major victory.

Here are some of the most satisfying responses to the AHCA being withdrawn from consideration in the House:

Mayday! Mayday!

If a picture is worth a thousands words, how much is a meme worth? Ohio Rep Tim Ryan's response to the failure of the AHCA proved you can say it all and more without actually having to say a thing.

Dear POTUS

California Rep. Ted Lieu had a message for President Trump: members of Congress respond to their constituents and policy, not threats.

Jumping For Joy

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was so excited the AHCA had been defeated that she had trouble keeping her feet on the ground. The California representative slipped out of her heels for a victory jump outside the U.S. Capitol on Friday.

Did Someone Say Snowflakes?

Some conservatives have long used the word "snowflake" as a means of insulting liberals and progressives. When insufficient support resulted in the AHCA being pulled from consideration in the House of Representatives on Friday, the progressive public policy advocacy group and political action committee MoveOn.org hailed it an avalanche of a win for snowflakes.

The Power Of The People

Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards highlighted senior Republican leaders' decision to pull the AHCA from consideration as proof of constituents' power.

Ready When You Are

New York's Rep. Sean Maloney got a little help from his Democratic colleagues Friday in sending House Speaker Paul Ryan and President Trump a message: We're ready when you are to talk "real solutions" for fixing health care.

Just Like Thelma & Louise

Upon hearing of President Trump and Rep. Ryan's last minute pull of the AHCA, filmmaker and documentarian Charles de Lauzirika envisioned his own Thelma and Louise-style ending to the drama playing out on Capitol Hill.

The Shock Of Defeat

Washington Post reporter Mike DeBonis reported the GOP congressmen responsible for writing the AHCA were in shock with "a couple darn near tears" when it became clear Friday that the bill would not pass if put to a vote in the House.

Today We Earned Victory, Tomorrow We Fight Again

Massachusetts Rep. Joe Kennedy III was an outspoken critic of House Republicans' AHCA who shared his own personal story during debate over the bill on the House floor in an effort to drive home the importance of ensuring coverage. In a statement released after the AHCA was withdrawn from consideration, Kennedy called the victory "a fierce reminder of the remarkable power we have to hold our government accountable."

Thanks For Listening

After flooding his office with calls about their concerns with the AHCA, constituents in Rep. John Raymond Garamendi's district flooded his office with handwritten "thank you" notes.

The Pull-Out Method

While it may not be everyone's cup of tea, Twitter user Lauren Bans' pull-out method joke was, in my opinion, one of the best burns of House Republicans' failure to pass the AHCA.

You Called. We Fought. It Worked.

Rep. Pete Aguilar's response to the withdrawal of the AHCA was a short yet powerful reminder that grassroots organizing works.

Conversations You Wish Had Happened, But Sadly Didn't

The withdrawal of the AHCA spurred a lot of talk (and by that I mean, jokes) regarding Trump's inability to make a deal with either conservative or moderate Republicans over the AHCA despite long claiming to be well-skilled in the art of the deal.

Joe Biden Joins Americans In Breathing A Sigh Of Relief

The battle over health care reform isn't about politics, it's about people, as former Vice President Joe Biden mentioned in his response to the AHCA's defeat. Perhaps the most satisfying response to the withdrawal of the AHCA are the sighs of relief let loose Friday by those concerned about losing their insurance and getting sick.

Hillary Clinton's Epic Tweet Storm

In a mic-drop moment, former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton unleashed a powerful tweet storm about some of the people she'd met during her political career whose lives would be better off because of Friday's withdrawal of the AHCA and the continued fight for real health care reform.