Story highlights Republicans should be wary of enjoying their success too much

The broader war rages on -- and the odds aren't exactly in Republicans favor

(CNN) House Republicans cobbled together 217 "yes" votes Thursday for a health care plan aimed at repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, an accomplishment that looked unlikely as recently as 48 hours ago.

That's a victory worth celebrating for a party that has been defined by its inability to rally its ideologically diverse caucus behind much of anything since re-taking control of the House in the 2010 election. House Speaker Paul Ryan, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Majority Whip Steve Scalise deserve real credit, as does President Donald Trump, who actively worked on-the-fence members over the last few days.

But Republicans should be wary of enjoying their success too much -- the American Health Care Act faces a decidedly uncertain legislative future in the Senate and its political future is even more murky.

You might not have been able to tell from the weeks of deal-making and uncertainty but what happened on the House floor Thursday was the easy part. After all, Republicans control 238 seats in the House and only needed 216 to pass this legislation. In a chamber built around the idea of majority rule, the math and political calculation isn't all that complicated. Give the people who need passes for political or policy reasons passes and lean on everyone else to be a team player.

That battle is now won. But the broader war rages on -- and the odds aren't exactly in Republicans' favor.