“They shot their wad on DeVos, those two traitors had 100% and 75% vote ratings from the NEA, the only two Repbulican Senators to rate above 50%. So they were really Rats, as we already know.”
That vote allowing the two Pub women to vote NO, was pre-planned by the Pubs before the vote was ever taken. They do this all the time, knowing exactly how many YES votes they are going to get, and that Pence would cast the tie-breaking vote.
The Pubs “allowed” the two NO votes because of the liberal propensities of the states the women come from, and the alliances with their teacher constituents who could otherwise make life miserable for them at re-election time if they voted YES. So this was an agreed upon vote by the Pubs.
Both sides (Dems/Pubs) do head counts and then figure out how many of their members in shaky political states or districts with large constituencies backing specific issues, can vote in the negative, just as long as it won’t affect the outcome of the actual vote. That’s politics.
I see your point regarding Collins in Maine, but Alaska? They’ve been a red state for years, maybe even decades. Is the teachers union so powerful there that Lisa M. had to be allowed to vote against DeVos?