Let’s stipulate that all decent people, whatever their political views, wish good health and longevity to Reps. Dwight Evans (D-PA), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), and David Scott (D-GA). More practically, Democrats need those three lawmakers and others who recently missed strings of votes due to health-related matters to be present and voting whenever the House is in session.

That’s due to the extraordinarily tight House majority Republicans hold. House Republicans, for the next three months or so, can afford virtually no defections. That’s a tall political order for a party divided on issues including immigration, slashing federal spending, and how to construct legislation extending President Donald Trump’s signature domestic issue during his first, nonconsecutive term, the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.