These GOP lawmakers know it's going to pass anyway, and don't want to be on record rejecting a bill that will deliver tax cuts and funds to their state/district.
To be sure, I wouldn't expect a lot of Republicans to switch, but Salon's Mike Madden recently reported that some GOP lawmakers, especially in the House, will see the first floor vote as "siding with their leadership," and the final floor vote as "siding with constituents."
#board-2412
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle