Vote To Repeal Military Policy Prohibiting Openly Gay Service Personal Scheduled For Saturday

The New York Times reported early Thursday afternoon that there are 61 senators suggesting that they support a repeal of the American military policy prohibiting openly gay service personal, thereby allowing passage if the Democrats can bring the bill to a vote before the Christmas recess. The House Wednesday voted again to approve the repeal and sent it to the Senate for passage. Later Thursday, Senate Majority Leader announced a scheduled vote on the stand-alone “don’t ask, don’t tell” repeal bill, likely to arrive Saturday. That after Reid removed the Omnibus government funding bill, out of feat the Democrats could not gather enough support to move the bill. Reid subsequently filed for a cloture vote of both the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” and the DREAM Act, the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, which would allow illegal aliens who graduate from high school and who have been in the country for five continuous years the opportunity to earn conditional permanent residency if they complete two years in the military or two years at a four year post-secondary institution. The DREAM Act will considered first, and if the legislation fails to reach the 60-vote requirement, the Senate would immediately consider the stand-alone repeal bill – which requires 60 votes in order to proceed to a second vote that requires only a majority vote to pass. According to reports, if the initial vote earns the necessary 60 votes, the timing of the second vote will depend on whether the GOP agrees to forgo the 30 hours of debate before proceeding to the second vote. The Democrats have a total of 57 yes votes with West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin expected to vote against. It is thought that at least four Republicans – Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, Maine Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, and Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown – expected to vote yes. It is thought that the idea of making the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” a stand-alone bill, sponsored by Senator Joseph Lieberman (Independent-Connecticut) and Senator Collins put a spotlight on senators who rejected the earlier measure because of procedural objections, creating a possible embarrassment for those who vote no.