**Update: 2:11 am**: Rep. Price was confirmed 52-47. Sen. Mike Lee cast the deciding vote.
The Senate is preparing to vote to confirm Rep. Tom Price to be Donald Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services. Republican Senators are speaking in his favor and Democrats are outlining their concerns. If confirmed, Price will oversee the repair, repeal, or replacement of the Affordable Care Act and much of the country's health care system as a result. Many Democrats are drawing a contrast between Price's past positions on the issue and what President Trump said on the campaign trail.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer told RCP's Alexis Simendinger on Wednesday that repealing Obamacare was a "mammoth" task and that he would rely on Congressional leaders to "do it in a very responsible way."
Democrats dragged debates on Betsy DeVos for Education Secretary and Jeff Sessions' for Attorney General overnight on both Monday and Tuesday. At around 5:00 PM Thursday, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he expected two votes around 2:00 AM tonight.
I'm about to speak on the Senate floor against confirming Tom Price as HHS Secretary. He's a leading advocate for dismantling Medicare!
— Sen. Debbie Stabenow (@SenStabenow) February 9, 2017
WATCH LIVE → I'll be taking to the Senate floor after 5 PM CT/6 PM ET to discuss @HHSGov Sec. nominee @RepTomPrice. https://t.co/Y2EwqAGPRi
— Sen. Al Franken (@SenFranken) February 9, 2017
McConnell also welcomed his "newest colleague from Alabama," the replacement for Sen. Jeff Sessions who arrived today: Luther Strange. McConnell joked that he was going to have a "very busy first day."
Alternate livestream available via NBC:
Coverage from about 2:30 - 5:30:
