Senator Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, slammed GOP leadership as a "total embarrassment" after the Senate failed to pass a bipartisan bill aimed at addressing the U.S.-Mexico border amid a rise in migrant arrivals.
The Senate voted down the bipartisan legislation, which would also have allocated funds to U.S. allies such as Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine on Wednesday evening by a vote of 49-50. The vote was largely on party lines, with five Democrats opposing the bill and four Republicans supporting it, but added to questions about whether Congress would be able to act on immigration reform and border security amid deep divisions over the issue.
Conservative Republican senators moved to tank the bill after it was unveiled over the weekend, arguing it did not go far enough to secure the southern border and made too many concessions to Democrats, who control the Senate. GOP leadership is now facing backlash from many conservatives over the legislation.
Hawley, a conservative who voted against the bill, lashed out at leadership in remarks to Punchbowl News.
"Oh, I think Republican leadership has shown they're a well-oiled machine. They just do great. Couldn't be improved upon. Absolutely have it all together. Very impressive. No, it's a total embarrassment," he said.
The outlet noted that Hawley's remarks were "dripping with sarcasm."
Hawley earlier spoke out against the bill, describing it as a "huge middle finger to working people" in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
GOP Leadership Faces MAGA Rebellion
Hawley is not the first Republican senator to raise concerns about the state of the party's leadership.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz said earlier in the week that he believes Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's time in leadership should come to an end. When asked by a reporter if it is time for McConnell to step down, Cruz said "I think it is."
Utah Senator Mike Lee described the bill as "disqualifying" in a post on X.
"Senate GOP leadership screwed this up—and screwed us. Even while refusing to let us see the bill they claimed to be negotiating on our behalf—for MONTHS—they were never in doubt, insisting we'd be dumb and even unpatriotic NOT to support it. This is a disqualifying betrayal," Lee wrote on Sunday.
Passing immigration legislation has proven to be a difficult task due to the divided nature of the federal government. While Democrats have the White House and hold a majority in the Senate, Republicans currently control the House of Representatives, meaning any bill would have to appease members from both major political parties.
The bill addressed key concerns faced at the southern border, increased the ICE detention capacity from 34,000 to 50,000 and allocated $20 billion to immigration enforcement. It also included $14 billion in aid to Israel, $60 billion for Ukraine, $4.83 billion to Indo-Pacific nations and $10 billion in humanitarian funding for Ukraine, Gaza and the West Bank.
Amid the chaos, Senator Mitt Romney, a Utah Republican who voted in support of the bill, warned that politics has become "the art of the impossible" in remarks to reporters Wednesday.
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Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
