Reid Plans LAST-DITCH Senate VOTE To END DADT

[Segami]

Nov 17, 2010 20:17 EST


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid plans to schedule a vote to end the Pentagon's ban on gays serving openly in the military before the start of the new Congress in January.


"During the work period following the Thanksgiving holidays, I will bring the Defense Authorization bill to the floor, including a repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,'" Reid, a Democrat, said in a statement on Wednesday.


"Our Defense Department supports repealing 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' as a way to build our all-volunteer armed forces. We need to repeal this discriminatory policy so that any American who wants to defend our country can do so," Reid said.


President Barack Obama has pledged to do away with the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, adopted in 1993, but big gains by Republicans in the November 2 elections have raised doubts about ending the ban once the new Congress takes power in January.


A measure to end the ban has cleared the House of Representatives but stalled in the Senate.


Defense Secretary Robert Gates said earlier this month he hoped the outgoing Congress would approve legislation ending the military's ban on gays but was unsure of the prospects for success.


Without action by Congress before the end of the year, it could become difficult for Obama to get lawmakers to repeal the policy in 2011 because Republicans, most of whom oppose lifting the ban, will control the House.


The Log Cabin Republicans, a national gay and lesbian advocacy group, won a lower court ruling in October that barred the Pentagon from enforcing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, but an appeals court put the decision on hold. The U.S. Supreme Court later rejected a request to lift the appeals court stay.


<http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/11/dems-attempt-passing-dont-ask-repeal/>


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[ClassWarrior]

1. It's actually more of a "first ditch" attempt, but any port in a storm.

NGU.

[w4rma]

2. Very good. We might be able to get rid of it with this vote. (nt)

[Toucano]

3. And the rank and file need to get crackin'.

Republican Senators who can get it passed.

Brown, MA
Voinovich, OH
Snow, ME
Collins, ME
Lugar, IN

Make those phones sing!


And if Sen. McCain wants to filibuster, make the OLD MAN actually sustain a filibuster! Stay in session over the break if that's what it takes. The threat of a filibuster isn't enough!

[alcibiades_mystery]

4. I would add Kirk to that list

He's going to be on for the lame duck session, and he has to play it very middle of the road. Kirk is another brown, though you'd never know it listening to the news. He knows he'll never be reelected going hard right. Hell, the guy didn't even campaign as a Republican, but as an independent.

[Toucano]

5. Keep 'em coming!

Let's make a good list.

This is DOABLE, and we may not get another chance.