Senate fails in attempt to repeal 'don't ask, don't tell'

Senate fails in attempt to repeal 'don't ask, don't tell'
By Ed O'Keefe
Copyright by The Washington Post
September 21, 2010
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2010/09/dont_ask_dont_tell_vote_set_fo_1.html?hpid=topnews



Efforts to repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" suffered a near-fatal blow on Tuesday as senators failed to end debate on the annual defense policy bill by a vote of 56 to 43.

Tuesday's vote does not end efforts to lift the military's 17-year ban on gays serving openly in uniform, but makes it much more difficult to ensure a repeal is included in the final House-Senate compromise version of the defense bill that lawmakers will vote on during a lame-duck session after November's midterm elections.

Gay rights advocates vowed to keep pressure on the Senate Tuesday, with some believing they will have enough votes to end the ban if senators votes on the compromise in December. Several moderate Republicans have said they would vote to end "don't ask, don't tell" only after they review a Pentagon study of how repealing the ban might impact troop readiness and morale. The study is due to President Obama and senior military leaders on Dec. 1.

"This issue doesn't go away," said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a group providing legal assistance to troops impacted by the gay ban.

"The Senate absolutely must schedule a vote in December when cooler heads and common sense are more likely to prevail once midterm elections are behind us," he said.

Other gay leaders struck a less optimistic tone, blaming the White House, Congressional Democrats and gay rights groups for not pushing for repeal of the policy sooner.

"The Democrats have been against 'don't ask don't tell' for more than a decade and why we allowed this law to remain in effect for another two years is beyond me," said Richard Soccarides, a former gay rights adviser to President Bill Clinton. "I think we as a gay community all bear a significant share of responsibility for not insisting that the unconstitutional and discriminatory policy not be ended right away."

The vote's fate was sealed early Tuesday, when Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who supports repealing "don't ask," said she disagreed with Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid's decision to restrict the number of amendments to the bill.

"For the life of me, I do not understand why the majority leader does not bring this bill to the floor and allow free and open debate and amendments from both sides of the aisle," Collins told reporters.

The Maine Republican would have voted with Democrats to end debate on the defense bill if Reid opened the bill up to other amendments, she said, adding: "If there's an amendment that's offered to strike 'don't ask, don't tell' provisions from the bill, I'll vote against that amendment and I'll help lead the debate against the amendment."

Reid last week announced plans to allow three amendments that would grant legal status to younger immigrants who attend college or join the military, would end a senator's right to place anonymous holds on Executive Branch nominees, and would allow for an up or down vote on removing "don't ask" from the defense bill.

The unsuccessful vote is likely to cause more political headaches for the Obama White House, already struggling to motivate loyal Democratic Party voters. Obama vowed to repeal the policy during his 2008 campaign and has taken several steps to advance gay rights through presidential memos. But he has declined to issue a moratorium on the discharges of gay soldiers by executive order, saying Congress should vote to repeal the law. He has vowed to sign a defense bill that included a repeal after certifying the Pentagon study.

Hours before Tuesday's vote, Obama's choice to lead the Marine Corps, Gen. James Amos, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he doesn't think lawmakers should lift the gay ban.

Morale could suffer and a change in personnel policy could affect ongoing operations in Afghanistan, Amos said, echoing sentiments expressed earlier this year by current Marine Corps Commandant, Gen. James T. Conway.