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.
Lugar is toast.
Now we will force ersatz men and ersatz women (homos and dykes) to OPENLY live together with normal people...
If the USSR was still around they would attack us now in this our moment of supreme weakness.
Please see musicman’s post 161.
While we are all up in arms, how about signing the petition from the Victory Institute to support Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos.
“The purpose of this petition is not to speak for or against the repeal of the law, but to counter recent efforts calling for Gen. Amos’ resignation. He has served our country with honor for 38 years, and his dedication to the Marine Corps is without question. His statements were founded upon the concerns of the men and women who are directly affected by the law. However, Gen. Amos stated that if “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is in fact repealed, the Marine Corps would “get in step and move smartly to implement the changes.”
The input of all branches of the Armed Forces is essential in a matter that could prove detrimental to the defense of this nation. Statements such as Gen. Amos’ should be welcomed, not silenced.”
I expect the gays to inundate the non-combat areas, like the JAG office.
May I please have one more rant?
The homosexuals don’t want to serve our country.....they want to serve THEMSELVES!!!!!
No doubt gays have always served, but the behavior itself was never sanctioned, that’s the difference. Now gays will be able to flaunt it without fear of retribution.
I’m shaking with anger at these F-IN assholes who supported this and anyone who thought they should not have made a call or send mail.
‘I am so pissed, they took a 100 years of family tradition and now I have become the last person in over a 100 years to have served and took my dream of seeing my boys finish up training and get their uniform
True, but the core of their agenda is a self-serving one. This is so sick!
My family has a long tradition of service. My father served for 25 years. He is rolling over in his grave.
For a majority of those here at Free Republic, this is not only a military matter, but a spiritual matter. Armageddon is coming, we just hoped our nation wasn’t going to be on the wrong side of that judgment of God. Legalizing an abomination to God, is participation in God’s eyes, and our openly stating NO is our affirmation that what is evil and destructive in God’s eyes, is evil and destructive in our eyes. Not too long ago I would be rending my coat and throwing dust onto my head. Right now, I am in mourning, again, over the outright destruction of the principles upon which this once great nation was built. The foundation is not cracking, it is being annihilated.
There have always been homos in the military.
I recently traveled to reconnect with an old Navy buddy and he confessed to being homo. We were close friends back in the day. And, he was a good sailor.
He supports DADT and is opposed to the repeal. He believes it's too disruptive and will lead to separate quarters for homos just like separate quarters for women today.
Those who believe this will destroy military effectiveness probably have not served. Everyone who has served knows there are homosexuals in the military, always have been, and most are just as good of fighters as the heterosexuals.
Does this explain Sen. Brown’s vote?
ROLL CALL for the H.R. 5281 Dream Act vote (fails to advance in the Senate, by a vote of 55-41, as 60 votes were needed to move the bill forward)...
I agree!!
I am sure there must be legal ramifications for this, besides simple sexual harassment laws. If not, there sure should have been.
Thanks for the post - I have just bookmarked the UCMJ. :)
That is why the physical requirements to serve should be upgraded and the SAME for all, regardless of gender. There are clear physical requirements needed to serve and they should never be watered down for social engineering. This weakness can kill soldiers.
Appreciate your response. As an attach on religious values and traditionalism, I understand the oppositon, and agree. How much of a precedent this becomes for other federal “rights” is yet to be seen. I understand the argument, but those discussions lie ahead, and we have a chance to elect leaders who will represent the religious and traditional viewpoints. Hopefully we will do so.
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