Not true. In 2002, Bush needed the Rats in the House to vote for authorization to go after Iraq. The vote was scheduled right before the election and they were forced to go along because of it. It doesn’t “always” go their way, just usually.
If the Pubblies spend the intervening year making it clear this is the Rats’ tar-baby (as they have since this turkey passed), it will break their way. This goes around the media megaphone.
If they delay it by one year it is going to be one big mess with all the people who have been dumped from their insurance at work to push them into the exchanges.