He knows something we don't! The Senate is much further along in its work toward a bill than anyone is reporting, and doggoneit this train is going to leave the station.
There's really been little progress to speak of, but Cornyn figures that both the policy and political realities being what they are, it's going to happen because it simply has to happen. ObamaCare is in full implosion mode, and however unpopular the replacement bill might be, senators know that failing to solve the problem will be much worse for them and for the country in the long run. They'll do it because they simply have no choice.
There's no reason to think it's going to happen, but saying this now allows him and the leadership to blame inflexible players when they fail to get a deal. Darn it, we were on our way, but (Ted Cruz or Susan Collins or Mike Lee or Lindsey Graham) just wouldn't get on board and we fell short of 50 votes!
I see three possibilities here:
