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We will update this post as the Senate moves forward at 2:15 this afternoon.

Update, 2:20 p.m.: Senators Heller and Capito said they will vote “yes” to on the motion to proceed.

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Update, 2:30 p.m.: In an address to the Senate prior to voting on the motion to proceed, Mitch McConnell urged Republicans to have the “courage to begin the debate.” “We can’t watch this moment slip by,” he said, adding that “we’ve watched the consequences of the status quo.” “The people who sent us here...expect us to tackle the big problems. We can’t get an outcome if we don’t start the debate. That’s what the motion to proceed is all about,” McConnell said. He closed by moving for the vote on the motion to proceed.

McConnell’s motion was interrupted by a group chanting “Kill the bill, don’t kill us” and “shame.” They were removed from the chamber but could be heard in the background as the vote began.

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Update, 2:45 p.m.: Senators Collins and Murkowski are the only two Republicans to vote “no” on the motion to proceed. The Senate is waiting for Senators Ron Johnson and John McCain to cast their votes.

Update, 3:05 p.m.: John McCain enters to a standing ovation. McCain and Johnson vote “yes.” Republicans have 50 votes to begin the motion to proceed with Vice President Mike Pence expected to cast the tie-breaking vote. As expected, all Democrats voted “no.” It is unclear what will come next.

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Update, 3:10 p.m.: As expected, Mike Pence voted “yes” on the motion to proceed.

Update, 3:25 p.m.: John McCain address the Senate, offering a plea for bipartisanship. “Our responsibilities are vitally important to the continued success of the Republic,” he said. The Senate’s “principled mindset...comes to mind when I hear the Senate referred to as the world’s greatest deliberative body. I’m not sure we can claim that with a straight face, today,” McCain said to his colleague. He chastised the Senate on the “partisan...tribal” divisions of the chamber. “I will not vote for this bill as it is today. It’s a shell of a bill, we all know that,” McCain said, failing to indicate which bills he will vote against.

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Update, 4:00 p.m.: The Senate has moved to 20 hours of debate for the next three days.

Update, 9:45 p.m.: The Senate debated and voted on amendments to the Better Care Reconciliation Act. The vote was not on the BCRA itself but on whether or not the Cruz amendment met the Senate’s rules. That vote fell short of the necessary 60 votes. Eight Republicans voted no. This doesn’t mean that the BCRA is technically dead but it does mean that the bill would need to undergo major revisions before it can pass the Senate.