Mike Johnson didn't even consult with moderates before blocking Senate deal: GOP insider

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) announced that the Senate bipartisan border security deal was dead before the ink was even dry on the agreement — driven in large part by former President Donald Trump opposing anything that might give President Joe Biden a win on an issue he planned to use in the 2024 election.

As it turned out, Punchbowl News' Jake Sherman reported, he announced it before some members of his caucus even had a chance to weigh in, too.

"Something I heard from a moderate Republican today: Johnson and the leadership have talked about a 'member-driven' process," wrote Sherman on X. "Yet the leadership shot down the Senate border/aide deal without talking to any moderates, many of whom were eager to support that bill."

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Amid the backlash from Trump and House Republicans, the Senate GOP ultimately did not provide enough votes for the deal to clear that chamber either.

The border deal, brokered between Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT), James Lankford (R-OK), and Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), is much more conservative than previous attempts at a bipartisan reform on the issue.

Under the proposal, the border would be shut down to migrants whenever the rolling average of encounters per day exceeds 5,000, and asylum criteria would be tightened. In return, the number of visas issued per year would be raised, unaccompanied migrant children would be eligible for legal representation, and it would be easier for migrants who clear initial asylum screenings to get work permits.