You have to wonder why in the world the Senate even wrote abortion funding into the bill that passed on Christmas Eve. They knew it would be a major sticking point with the House. Did they think the House would amend it, send it back for another vote in the Senate and then on to the WH? Well, did they ever make a mess for themselves! They got too cocky, put it in their and now they are paying the price.
They did not foresee losing a senate seat in Mass. If not for that little detail, they would have gone to conference, added more pork, and still would have 60 votes in the senate.