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.
I agree. So why don’t we start work on making the Senate jellyfish cower to our demands?
The civilian job announcements has a line about sexual orientation that was added.
You make good points.
I will say I was wrong about what Happened if that ultimately Happens, but all I doing was Relaying what I heard ,could be That He said that a Deal was possibly Made I will give you that
Did the senate repeal DADT? What was the final vote?
I hold you in esteem for your response. :)
"Steers and Queers" From "Full Metal Jacket" 10 second clip.
Sometime in the next few minutes.
The roll is being called right now in the Senate on this...
http://www.c-span.org/Live-Video/C-SPAN2/
This is absolutely disgusting!
Snowe R and Conrad D , Vonivich R , Nelson R , Kirk R vote yes on the final to pass DADT...
Thank you for the update. This is a sad day. I look for START to pass, too. America is being dismantled as most Americans sip eggnog and sing carols. Back before the Nov. election, I berated a French person who became an American citizen for doubting America, and now I feel like I should look her up and apologize. Where do we go from here? I’m feeling really sad. I don’t want my children to grow up in Sodom and Gomorrah.
Accept Perversion Act! Arkansas Ping!
DADT is merely a “gateway’ to get a branch of The United States Government to recognize their (homosexuals) sin as a protected right. For purposes of legal precedence for future battles. We are sowing the wind I fear.
Final vote on the repeal of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy in the military (Homosexualization of the military)...
The DADT policy is repealed by a vote of 65-31.
The Roll Call should be available in about an hour here...
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/vote_menu_111_2.htm
Burr (NC) and Ensign (NV) also voted for repeal.
DADT is repealed. 66 - 33
FIRE PRYOR!
Well, I know 6 guys who are happy !!!
BTW: Sales of K-Y Jelly and Vaseline at BXs and PXs are gonna skyrocket !!!
This was a done deal a while ago. I had to complete a sex offender form a few months ago. I live inbase housing.
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