UPDATE (10:45 am) — ABC News reports that Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) says he will vote to repeal “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.” Brown’s support means that on paper there are 61 Senators who will vote in favor of repeal.
WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) congratulated the House for voting to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy” on Wednesday, and urged his colleagues to act swiftly on following suit.
In a statement put out late Wednesday evening, Reid told Senate Republicans to stop stalling and help Democrats pass the repeal as soon as possible.
“Let me be clear,” he said. “We are very quickly running out of days in this Congress. The time for week-long negotiations on amendments and requests for days of debate is over. Republican Senators who favor repealing this discriminatory policy need to join with us now to stand against those who are trying to run out the clock on this Congress.”
Reid also cited Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) as a member of the GOP who has pledged to vote with the Democratic majority on ending the policy put in place during the Clinton administration.