The Senate on Feb. 18 rejected an amendment to a government funding bill that would have barred funding for federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates that haven’t been blocked by courts. The amendment, offered by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), failed in a narrow 46–47 vote. Lee and fellow Republicans were optimistic because they hold a slight majority in the upper chamber since Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) suffered a stroke. Additionally, Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) were absent with reported family emergencies. But four Republican senators missed the vote, dooming the measure. Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) were not present when the Senate voted on Lee’s amendment and two other proposals to alter the funding bill. Romney and Inhofe voted to advance the bill but did not vote for the rest of the day. Graham and Burr missed all the …