Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Stalled In The Senate

Senate Democrats Tuesday failed to secure the 60 votes needed to sidestep a Republican filibuster staged against a provision within this year’s Defense Authorization bill that would grant the President the authority to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

The vote to invoke cloture secured 56 votes, with GOP Moderates Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Me.), and Susan Collins (R-Me.) both withholding their support. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) ultimately changed his vote to No in a procedural move that would allow the Senate to take up the legislation again. 43 Senators, including Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) and Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), voted against the bill.

The language in the $726 billion appropriations bill concerning Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the policy that currently bars gay men and women from serving in the military openly, requires certification from both the Defense Secretary and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff before the policy is altered. Still, opponents of the policy’s repeal accused Democrats of moving too quickly on the decision.

“The Senate should not be forced to make this decision now before we have heard from our troops,” Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the Ranking Member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said on the floor, referring to a study commissioned by the Pentagon on how to effectively repeal the policy.

Republicans have also balked at a provision in the bill that would allow female servicewomen to receive abortions on military installations as well as Democratic plans to include amend the legislation to include the DREAM Act, which would allow immigrants who serve in the military or attend college to more easily qualify for citizenship.