Congressional Democrats' last-ditch, pre-election effort to pass gay rights and immigration legislation fell victim to a Republican-led filibuster Tuesday, dealing a setback to those trying to lift the ban on openly gay troops serving in the U.S. military.
The filibuster also ended Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's hopes of attaching an amendment legalizing illegal immigrant children to the defense bill.
Immigrant- and gay-rights groups blasted the GOP move, and Democrats said they might try again later this year. In the meantime, they tried to get the maximum mileage politically out of Tuesday's filibuster, with one Democratic leader accusing Republicans of "cowering" behind procedural rules.
But Sen. John McCain, ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said trying to force immigration-reform and gay-rights debates on the defense bill was more about the upcoming midterm elections than it was about making laws.
"It was a blatant and cynical attempt to galvanize the Hispanic vote in the case of the [immigration bill] and also energize the gay and lesbian vote," Mr. McCain said.
The filibuster likely ends the Senate's major legislative business for the year, leaving lawmakers to pass stopgap spending measures, approve some nominations and finish other odds and ends before facing voters in November.
Two Democrats joined 40 Republicans in support of the filibuster, which blocked the Senate from even beginning debate on the defense bill. The authorization bill includes popular programs such as pay raises for the troops, as well as tackling thornier issues like abortions at military hospitals and the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
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