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Speaker Paul Ryan says the collapse of the House Republican health care bill means former President Barack Obama's health care law will be around for the foreseeable future. (March 24) AP

Health care activists march to the Trump International hotel during a protest in March in Washington, D.C.(Photo: MANDEL NGAN, AFP/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON Rep. Luke Messer, R-Shelbyville, was waiting for his turn to speakin favor of the GOP health care bill Friday when it was yanked from the House floor in the last minutes of debate.

Vote! Vote! Democrats shouted as Messer and other stony-faced Republicans filed off the floor to a closed-door meeting where the Rolling Stones You Cant Always Get What You Want played.

Republicans seven-year effort to get rid of President Barack Obamas signature health care bill was dead.

I dont know what else to say other than Obamacares the law of the land, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., told reporters after the short caucus meeting ended. Were going to be living with Obamacare for the foreseeable future.

Indianas uninsured rate had dropped from 13 percent before major provisions of the 2010 Affordable Care Actbegan to 9 percent in 2015. But Republicans argued it imposed too many taxes and regulations on the health care system, without lowering costs.

Most of Indianas seven GOP House members, as well as Gov. Eric Holcomb, had backed the repeal and replace bill.

One Indiana House member, freshman Rep. Trey Hollingsworth of Jeffersonville, issued a statement after the vote criticizing career politicians for lacking the courage to act, but he never said if he supported the bill.

Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., also had not said if he backed it.

WHAT HAPPENED:Failure to repeal Obamacare ends terrible week for Trump, GOP

The two major components of the ACA which increased coverage an expansion of Medicaid and subsidies for people who buy insurance without help from an employer would have been scaled back. Taxes the ACA imposed on the wealthy and sectors of the health care industry to pay for the ACA would have been repealed.People would not have been fined for not having insurance and larger employers would not have had to offer coverage to workers.

An estimated 24 million fewer people would have had insurance under the bill in 2026 compared with no changes to the law. Some would have gone without by choice. Many would have done so because they could not afford it, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

The bill lost support of some more moderate Republicans concerned about the loss of coverage, while too many hard-line conservatives opposed the bill for not going far enough to undo Obamacare.

When it was clear not enough lawmakers had been swayed even after additional changes were made to the bill Thursday night, Vice President Mike Pence canceled an out-of-town trip and huddled Friday afternoon with members of the House Freedom Caucus. Leaving the meeting, Pence ignored shouted questions from reporters about whether the bill had the votes to pass.

Vice President Mike Pence and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price leave the Capitol Hill Club on Capitol Hill March 24, 2017 in Washington, DC. While Pence visited with lawmakers Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) traveled to the White House to meet with President Donald Trump to discuss the fate of the American Health Care Act.(Photo: Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images)

As the debate continued on the floor, Democrats remained united in their opposition.

Rep. Pete Visclosky,D-Merrillville, said the bill would jeopardize care for the more than 400,000 Hoosiers on HIP 2.0, Indianas alternative Medicaid program that was expanded through the ACA. The GOP bill would have phased out the Medicaid expansion, as well as cut funding for Indianas traditional Medicaid program, which covers children, pregnant women, the disabled and low-income seniors.

Medicaid spending is the source of two-thirds of federal funding received by Indiana for a program used by about 1 in 5 Hoosiers.

Holcomb earlier this year asked the federal government for permission to continue HIP 2.0, and to expand access to substance abuse disorder services for an estimated cost of $70.75 million a year.

But he backed the GOP bill this week, saying in a letter to congressional leaders that Obamacare had diverted resources away from Medicaids core mission. He praised recent changes to the bill that would have allowed states to impose work requirements on some Medicaid recipients, and allowed states to accept less funding than in the original bill in exchange for more leeway on how to run the program.

Its a huge step forward in giving states the flexibility in deciding who really needs this assistance, how they should get it and what they should get, Rep. Todd Rokita, R-Indianapolis, said on the House floor.

U.S. Rep. Todd Rokita(Photo: File photo)

Rep. Larry Bucshon, R-Newburgh, said the voters who fought against Obamacare because it caused them to lose coverage or pay higher premiums had put Republicans in charge of Congress and the White House in part so the law could be repealed.

Its an opportunity for us to fulfill our promise to our constituents, he said.

PresidentDonald Trump carried Indiana by 19 percentage points. But a majority of voters 56 percent opposed the GOP bill while only 17 percent supported it, according to a Quinnipiac University surveyed of 1,056 voters taken March 16-21.

Replacing Obamacare will come with a price for elected representatives who vote to scrap it, say many Americans, who clearly feel their health is in peril under the Republican alternative, said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

Republicans said they need some time to reflect on what happened Friday, but will quickly regroup.

NEXT STEPS:With Obamacare repeal dreams dashed, what can GOP accomplish?

Health care reform, however, is no longer on the table, said a subdued Messer.

Were going to wake up tomorrow morning and weve still got a lot of work to do for the American people, said Messer, chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee. Today is a disappointing day, but were going to have to move on to other issues.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called the failure of House Republicans to bring their health care bill to a vote 'a victory for the American people.' (March 24) AP

Contact Maureen Groppe at mgroppe@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @mgroppe.

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Despite support from Indiana Republicans, health bill fails - Indianapolis Star