Key vote on 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' repeal fails

Repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Fails
A proposed Repeal of the ban on gays and Lesbians serving in the Military failed a procedural vote in the U.S. Senate, 57 to 40 -- just three votes short of the 60 needed. First Read: "Ultimately, Majority Leader Harry Reid called for the vote without having reached a procedural agreement with moderate Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who supports Repeal but wanted greater openness for the process of amending and passing the bill. Collins voted aye on the measure, but other Republicans w...

Dont Ask Dont Tell Repeal Fails
(NewsCore) - A vote to Repeal the ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ policy, which bans Openly Gay Soldiers from serving in the nation’s Military, was defeated in the Senate Thursday. The final Cloture vote of 57-40 on the fiscal 2011 defense authorization bill, which included the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” provision, fell short of the 60 votes necessary to avoid a Republican Filibuster. Republicans voted against the Legislation, citing their pledge to block...

Senate Republicans Block 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Repeal
Senate Republicans blocked Repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Thursday, significantly dimming prospects that the ban on gays serving openly in the Military will be lifted during this lame-duck session of Congress. The 57-40 vote came on a motion to bring the giant defense Budget bill, which included Repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT), to the floor, with Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid unable to muster the 60 votes to launch debate. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates had pinned his hope...

DADT Repeal Fails, Senate Hits A New Low
At this point, it's hard to overstate just how dysfunctional and inane the U.S. Senate is. Earlier today, Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal was shot down by a 57-40 vote. In other words, 57 senators were in favor of repeal, 40 were opposed—and the thing still failed. Okay, fine, plenty of critics have decried the fact that the Filibuster gets overused and you need 60 votes to pass even the smallest piece of Legislation in the Senate. Set that aside. What was particularly appalling about this v...

"Don't ask, don't tell" repeal is, as always, in trouble
Lisa Murkowski explained her vote against proceeding with debate on the defense authorization bill that included the Repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell": She voted no because she wants an "open and fair amendment process." Scott Brown voted no because he refuses to vote yes until Democrats acquiesce to Tax Cuts for the wealthy. Nothing better illustrates the moral vacuity of the United States Senate than when a broadly popular measure receives a majority of votes but still fails because senators w...

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Repeal May be Dead
Defense Secretary Robert Gates, left, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen, speak to reporters on Gays in the Military, Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010, at the Pentagon. In what appears to have been the last chance for Repeal this year, Senate Republicans have blocked a bill that would allow for Repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy banning Gays from serving openly in the Military. Fifty-seven senators voted to move to debate on the bill, while 40 opposed it. Because of the Filibuster role,...

Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal blows up in Senate
0 The Senate has killed on a procedural motion, 57 to 40, a bill containing Repeal of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell ban on Gays in the Military. The vote fell short of the 60 needed to move ahead on the defense authorization bill, which contained Repeal of 17-year-old ban. Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine rushed to the Senate floor just before the vote asking why Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., suddenly called a Cloture vote on the defense authorization bill, despite their negotiations,...

Senate Aide: Manchin 'No' Vote On DADT Was A Stunt
For observers closely following the Don't Ask, Don't Tell proceedings in the Senate over the past several days, it's all been about Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME). Her demand to hold four days of debate and allow amendments on the Defense spending bill that included DADT Repeal (and do all that after a vote on the Tax Cuts) essentially doomed the bill to failure, a senior Democratic aide said. But in the end, when Majority Leader Harry Reid put the bill to a Cloture vote this afternoon, Collins vo...

DADT Vote Today: Do the Dems Have the Votes for Repeal?
(Dec. 8) -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today will bring up a proposed Repeal of the Military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy for a final vote for the year. Reid said he will hold a procedural vote later today on repealing the policy, which forbids Homosexuals from serving openly in the military. The Democrats need Republican support to garner the 60 votes needed to break a GOP Filibuster, and it's still unclear how many Senate Republicans are in favor of the repeal, the New York Daily N...

'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Repeal Fails (The Atlantic Wire)
WASHINGTON, DC – The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy banning gays from serving openly in the Military will probably not be repealed this year, as seemed likely only hours ago, now that the bill has failed to garner the 60 votes necessary to reach the Senate floor for debate. The House had already paved the way for therepeal. The vote failed 57-40. Republicans Scott Brown of Massachusetts and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who voiced support for Repeal but had procedural objections, ultimately ...

Reid may press ahead with 'don't ask, don't tell' vote
Washington (CNN) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid may be pressing ahead with a Senate vote Thursday that could doom the Repeal of the Military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy on gay service members. The vote may come despite progress in talks Wednesday night on a deal to get GOP Maine Sen. Susan Collins' vote. Collins, a supporter of the repeal, had been demanding ample debate time and amendments in exchange for her vote to start debate on the defense bill, which includes the repeal....

'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Repeal Failure: The Morning After (The Atlantic Wire)
WASHINGTON, DC – The repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" stalled in the Senate Thursday over procedural roadblocks, diminishing the likelihood that Congress will resolve the contentious issue this year. Repeal will likely become more difficult once Republicans take control of the House next year. Commentators who support repeal raced to the web immediately following the failed vote, voicing their frustration with Republican obstructionism, on-the-fence legislators' dithering, Senate Majori...

Fate of 'don't ask, don't tell' uncertain
Besides 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' what else is in the defense bill? A Senate procedural vote to proceed on a bill ending the Military's "don't ask, don't tell" law is on hold as Senate Democrats continue negotiations with Republicans willing to vote on the measure. The Senate "is in a state of flux," Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Thursday, moments after a private huddle with Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) off the Senate floor. The Maine Republican is a key vote on the issue whose suppor...

Both Sides Remain Adamant on Dont Ask, Dont Tell
By Danny Yadron Reaction to the Senate’s failure to Repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” were swift, and advocates on both sides remained adamant. The Senate fell three votes shy of 60 needed to overcome a Filibuster of the defense authorization bill that included the measure to Repeal the policy that bars gays from serving openly in the Military. The final tally: 57-40. Perhaps no one was more irritated than Maine Sen. Susan Collins , the only Republican to vote for lifting the ban. Sh

'Don't ask' repeal fails in Senate
A key legislative opportunity to Repeal of the Military’s ban on gays in uniform, which President Barack Obama vowed would be dismantled “on my watch,” fell Victim to partisan wrangling and the time pressures of the lame-duck session Thursday afternoon. Despite apparent momentum for the measure in recent days – including public declarations from Republicans who supported the elimination of “don’t ask, don’t tell” in principle – the Senate ...

Republicans block 'don't ask, don't tell' repeal
WASHINGTON — Republicans stopped an attempt in the Senate on Thursday to repeal a law that prohibits gays from serving openly in the military. Supporters were unable to muster the 60 votes needed to move ahead with a bill that would have allowed repeal, falling short in a 57-40 vote. Democrats blamed Republicans who had vowed to block any legislation, including defense spending, until a deal is reached on extending an array of tax cuts due to expire Jan. 1. "There are a lot of people all ov...

Senate blocks repeal of military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy (video)
In a vote today to move forward with debate to Repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in the Military, the vote today was 57-40 - falling just three votes short to begin debate on repealing the policy which is attached to a larger piece of Legislation which is the defense reauthorization bill.  In all likelihood, it seems that the Repeal of the policy does not seem likely in these final weeks of the Lame Duck session.  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid,...

Did Harry Reid Just Kill Don't Ask / Don't Tell Repeal?
There were indications yesterday that Majority Leader Reid had struck a bargain with Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, in which Collins would provide a critical vote in favor of the Don’t Ask / Don’t Tell Repeal, provided Reid allowed a number of Republican amendments to the broader Defense Authorization bill to which the repeal was stapled.  Collins herself appeared to be under that impression when Reid moved to the Senate floor just minutes ago to announce, in effect, that the deal...

Don't Ask fails in the Senate
In a vote that could end the session on a very bitter note for Democrats, a vote to end debate on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" failed, getting only 57 of the required 60 votes. Voting "no" were three senators who'd said they support Repeal in principle: Republicans Lisa Murkowski and Scott Brown and Democrat Joe Manchin. Expect a lot of anger at Harry Reid for the management of this Legislation, in which there seem to have been 61 votes available at some point. Repeal may be out...

Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell Fails in the Senate
Get alerts when there is a new article that might interest you. The Defense Authorization Act, which included a provision to Repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, has failed to gain Cloture in the Senate, 57-40. After signaling that she'd oppose the bill, Senator Susan Collins was the only Republican to vote in favor of cloture. Republican senators Lisa Murkowski and Scott Brown previously said that they would vote for the bill if the GOP was allowed to debate and offer amendments. Democratic Senate maj...

Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell Fails in the Senate
Get alerts when there is a new article that might interest you. The Defense Authorization Act, which included a provision to Repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, has failed to gain Cloture in the Senate, 57-40. After signaling that she'd oppose the bill, Senator Susan Collins was the only Republican to vote in favor of cloture. Republican senators Lisa Murkowski and Scott Brown previously said that they would vote for the bill if the GOP was allowed to debate and offer amendments. Democratic Senate maj...

Defense Bill Falls 57-40, But Lieberman And Collins Pledge To Introduce Stand-Alone Repeal Measure
Defense Bill Falls 57-40, But Lieberman And Collins Pledge To Introduce Stand-Alone Repeal Measure This evening, moments after the Senate failed to invoke Cloture and proceed to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) — the measure which contains the amendment to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell — Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) announced that they would offer a stand-alone DADT measure. Lieberman also said that he has a commitment from Reid to br...

In DADT Wreakage, a Tale of Two Vulnerable Dems
Thu Dec. 9, 2010 2:22 PM PST — Flickr/Enrico Fuente (Creative Commons). The Repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell failed Thursday in the Senate, with the Democrats coming up three votes short of being able to block a Republican Filibuster. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had been negotiating with Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) to bring DADT Repeal to the floor while satisfying Republican demands for more time for debate and GOP amendments to the bill. But Reid was reportedly worried that Republi...

Reid optimistic on 'Don't ask,' tax deal approval
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Wednesday expressed optimism that the chamber will approve the tax-cut deal struck between President Obama and congressional Republicans, as well as a Defense Department policy that Repeals the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” rule.   Speaking at a mid-afternoon Press Conference just hours before a key procedural vote on the DADT repeal, Reid said the Tax Cut deal should receive a successful vote in the next “day or two,” and th

DADT repeal almost DOA? [Update]
DADT Repeal almost DOA? [Update] Yesterday's non-stop action on the efforts to vote on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the Repeal of don't ask don't tell (DADT) may very well be the high point. For, today, everything could come to a crashing halt. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid just said on the floor, "I'll make that decision on this next little bit." That being a vote today on the NDAA. The insistence of Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) that a vote on the Bush Tax Cuts deal go...