Posted on 12/18/2010 7:35:51 AM PST by Red Steel
The Senate will act on two important pieces of President Obama's progressive legislative agenda today: the DREAM Act and the repeal of the military's ban on openly gay servicemembers. By the end of the day, the path to final passage is expected to be set for DADT repeal, while DREAM is expected to languish for another Congress to pass.
Starting at around 10:30 this morning, the Senate will take up a cloture vote on DREAM. Cloture -- voted in by a 60-senator super majority -- is required to cut off debate and move a bill to final passage in the Senate. DREAM, which would provide legal status for illegal immigrants who serve in the military or earn college degrees, is not expected to hit that mark, effectively scrapping the bill for the time being.
That will set the stage for a cloture vote on a standalone DADT repeal bill, which proponents say is destined for passage. That will be the first step toward ending the nearly two-decade practice of allowing gays and lesbians to serve in the military, but not if anyone who works with them knows they're gay. Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), who has been the driving force behind lining up the votes for DADT repeal, says he has the 60 he needs and most observers expect there to be little drama today.
Lieberman and his allies in the Democratic caucus are expected to get help repealing DADT from at least four Republicans -- Sens. Scott Brown (MA), Susan Collins (ME), Lisa Murkowski (AK) and Olympia Snowe (ME). Most of the rest of the GOP caucus is expected to vote against it, though Lieberman said yesterday that the bill may pick up support from the GOP as it heads toward final passage.
On the Democratic side, Sen. Joe Manchin (WV) has not said whether he'll support the standalone bill -- and he voted against repeal the last time it came up, as part of a defense spending bill last week. Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), who voted for cloture on the spending bill, has also not said how he'll vote. Proponents of repeal say they don't need either vote to win today.
Supposing cloture is reached (which, again, is all but a foregone conclusion according to supporters of repeal), a final vote on the bill to end DADT could come as early as today. More likely than not, however, 30 hours of final debate on the measure will be kicked off by the cloture vote. That puts a final repeal vote sometime late Sunday.
The House already passed its version of the standalone DADT repeal (as well as DREAM, for what it's worth) which means that if the Senate passes the repeal this weekend it will go straight to the president's desk for likely signature.
Stay tuned throughout the day for live updates on the happenings here on Capitol Hill.
No TV here what is that for, which bill?
An unusual number not voting - four. Real profiles in courage. Wonder which senators didn’t vote.
You are ZERO for FOUR so far. LOLZ
roger that... and a few more to thank.. George Bush, Karl Rove, the republican house and senate for creating the tide that brought us Obama, Pelosie and Reid.... and a special thanks to the american idiots that voted for them.
I suppose Barney Frank will replace Gates as SecDef.
True that. Wish we could stop Lame ducks from voting. sigh.
Impeach Napolitano.
Start deporting.
Did Hatch vote????
The woman from MO is toast in 2012.
McConnell should treat her as a democrat. She is Specter in a skirt.
On web streaming - C-span 2 or Foxlive
Dream Act is voted down, now 2 minute debate of repeal DADT.
Lieberman keeps saying homosexuals cannot serve. They can, they do, we just cannot legally talk about sex in the workplace due to sexual harassment laws already in place, Mr Lieberman.
DADT vote now!!!!!!!!!
Her comes DADT’s cloture...
Not a word about God or the Bible - one week before Christmas.
Yes, a very, very, good thing...but DREAM was expected to fail.
The liberals and the MSM REALLY WANT TO REPEAL DODT.
This is the one they will crow about, the MSM will use it to normalize homosexual sex, and more of our children will be told this is a-ok.
Smoking NO....anal sex...YES!
Who were the 4 who didn’t vote on Nightmare?
On this one day, I was glad to hear John McCain speak in the well of the Senate.
can’t get through to Brown, the ass I think has turned his phone off at DC.
Is there any other numbers to call him on please?
O am so pissed that I’m shaking while typing.
If this ass votes for don’t ask then that is it same as the other idiots in the GOP.
If all republicans stayed together we could defeat this once and for all and keep our military
This was the big one, though.
You can get to Snowe’s office.
I’m still calling please all others call and tell them to stop the repeal.
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