House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said Friday was a "victory for the American people," after Republicans pulled their bill to replace Obamacare before a scheduled vote.
"It's about our country and the vision of our founders. It's about our faith, and it's about the unity of the Democrats, united by our values," she said in a news conference.
The Republicans failed because of their own actions and choices, Pelosi said.
"But it was also because the American people weighed in. Our phone lines were all deluged," she said. "I want to thank all the people who expressed themselves to members of Congress, either to say thank you for supporting the Affordable Care Act or kill the [GOP] bill to whomever they were calling."
Ryan said he urged President Donald Trump to pull the proposal Friday and he agreed. Ryan visited the White House earlier to tell Trump that Republicans lacked the votes to push the plan through.
Congressional Democrats seemed to be in high spirits after the news.
When a reporter mentioned that Trump blamed the Democrats, Pelosi seemed incredulous at first, asking "Did he blame us for the defeat of his flagship issue?"
She smiled, saying "We'll take credit for that."