Excerpt from story on TheBlaze:
So GOP leaders struggled to find the five GOP votes needed to help the Democrats overcome Cruz’ filibuster.
Reporters crowding the chamber took to Twitter to describe the action, but the Senate was officially silent.
The decisive moment came when top Republicans Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and John Cornyn of Texas, both up for re-election this year, stepped to the well of the Senate and voted “aye.”
That appeared to put the tally at the required 60, but no one could be positive.
Had a Democrat skipped the vote to get out of town ahead of a looming snowstorm? Did the press gallery staff members who unofficially record each tally as a service to the media miss a crucial hand gesture in the initial flurry of votes?
A few minutes later, photocopies of the official tally arrived in the press gallery, showing that six Republicans had switched their votes in solidarity with McConnell, who faces a tea party challenge in a May primary.
The final vote – 67-31 – was posted on the Senate’s web site. But information on who switched votes isn’t available there.
