The New York Times reports on efforts by Republicans who support the current American military policy that prohibits openly gay men and women from serving to filibuster Tuesday’s vote on a 2011 military defense spending legislation that includes language to repeal the policy known as “don’t ask, don’t tell.” If the Republicans are successful (there is also an unrelated immigration measure included in the military authorization bill that Republicans intend to also filibuster; one that would grant citizenship to young people who have lived in the United States for at least five years and have spent two of those years in either college or the military) the issue of ending the 17 year old ban enacted during the Clinton administration will likely be put off till next year, and that has gay activists concerned that a new Congress resulting from November elections will be less likely to support an eventual repeal. John McCain, failed Republican presidential candidate and current Senator from Arizona, is the most prominent Republican to oppose a vote, asking that efforts to repeal wait until the Pentagon completes an exhaustive study on the effectiveness of repealing the ban and the impact such the repeal would have on military readiness. In January, 2010, during his first State of the Union address, President Obama promised to repeal the ban by the end of the year, suggesting it is a “law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are,” adding that a repeal was “the right thing to do.” Monday night, White House spokesperson Shin Inouye, without directly commenting on “don’t ask, don’t tell,” said that the spending bill up for consideration Tuesday was “important for the overall health and well being of our forces, especially given the ongoing campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world. This legislation received bipartisan support in the House and in the Senate Armed Services Committee, and the president hopes it receives similar bipartisan support in the Senate.” The vote is scheduled for 2:15pm EST.