Senate to vote to take up repeal "early next week"

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced tonight that the Senate will vote on a procedural motion to take up Affordable Care Act repeal "early next week." Senate GOP leaders had been discussing holding the vote as early as tomorrow, but now the timing has been postponed.

What it means: Unless something changes between now and then, Senate Republicans won't get the 50 votes they need to begin debate on any health care bill, including McConnell's fallback plan of a repeal bill without an ACA replacement. But McConnell is determined to hold the vote even if it fails. GOP leaders will be increasing the pressure on the Republican holdouts to change their minds.