The Senate rejected a bipartisan border deal on Thursday in a vote that Republicans denounced as “political theater” ahead of the November election.
The border bill, originally tied to a larger package on foreign aid, failed on the Senate floor in February, with all but four Republicans lining up against it.
Senate Democrats framed the second attempt, this time a standalone vote, as a chance to demonstrate Washington’s seriousness about getting border security done. Meanwhile, Republicans regarded the move as designed to give political cover to vulnerable Democrats up for reelection.
Similar to the February vote, Democrats saw a handful of defections, among them Latino and progressive lawmakers who viewed the bill as too draconian. There were two new additions on Thursday: Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Laphonza Butler (D-CA).
In a dramatic reversal, Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), the Republican who negotiated the bill
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