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Title: 'Don't ask' repeal wins final passage (with help of 8 Fudge Packing Republicans)
Source:
Politico
URL Source: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46576.html
Published: Dec 18, 2010
Author: Scott Wong
Post Date: 2010-12-18 18:49:05 by Hondo68
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Keywords: victory for gay rights, support from eight Republicans, hugged gay-rights leaders
Views: 17451
Comments: 36
The Senate voted Saturday afternoon to repeal the ban on gays in the military, marking a major victory for gay rights and an end to the 17-year old "don't ask, don't tell" policy. “By ending 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,' no longer will our nation be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans forced to leave the military, despite years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay,” Obama said in a statement. “And no longer will many thousands more be asked to live a lie in order to serve the country they love.” Nearly eight in 10 Americans support allowing gays to openly serve in uniform, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll released this week. “I don’t want to permit that opportunity to happen, and I will tell you why,” said McCain, a former Navy pilot and Vietnam prisoner of war who called it a “sad day.” “If you go up to Bethesda, Marines are up there with no legs, none. We have got Marines at Walter Reed with no limbs.”
The bill now heads to President Barack Obama, who plans to sign it into law, overturning what repeal advocates believed was a discriminatory policy that unfairly ended the careers of thousands of gay members of the military over the years.
The 65-31 Senate vote marked a historic – and emotional – moment for the gay-rights movement and handed Obama a surprising political triumph in the closing days of the 111th Congress. The legislation had been left for dead as recently as last week after Senate Republicans blocked efforts to advance it, yet on final passage, the bill won unexpected support from eight Republicans.
The repeal, which would not take effect immediately, ushers in a major cultural shift for a military that has operated under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy since the first year of Bill Clinton’s presidency.
Shortly after the final tally was announced, a handful of top White House officials, led by Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina and senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, congratulated and hugged gay-rights leaders who had gathered just off the Senate floor.
“It’s a historic moment,” said Jarrett, who had never attended a vote before. “It wouldn’t have happened without Congress obviously, the president’s leadership and so many people across the country who became engaged in the issue … Everybody played a vital role in today’s success.”
The Senate vote capped months of uncertainty about whether Congress or the federal courts, where gay-rights advocates are fighting the ban, would act first to repeal the policy.
The real drama had already come a few hours earlier when the repeal bill cleared a crucial procedural hurdle. The 63-33 cloture vote was three more than needed to beat back a Republican filibuster.
With support from all but one member of the Democratic caucus and help from six Republicans, the bill overcame the 60-vote threshold required to move forward.
The Republican senators voting “yes” with the Democrats in the cloture vote were Mark Kirk of Illinois, Scott Brown of Massachusetts, George Voinovich of Ohio, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – and Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, both of Maine. Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina and John Ensign of Nevada joined the six other Republicans in bucking their party on the historic final vote.
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who previously stated he opposes repeal, was the only Democrat to miss the vote, apparently because of a family “holiday gathering,” his spokeswoman said.
Obama called the Senate vote an “historic step” toward ending a discriminatory policy that weakens America’s national security and violates the ideals troops risk their lives to defend.
“Today's vote said that if discrimination has no place in America, it has no place in the Armed Forces,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told reporters. “It said that we don't care who you love, as long as you love your country.”
With Republicans taking control of the House and gaining more power in the Senate in the new Congress that convenes in January, there was increasing urgency from Democrats and their gay-rights allies to approve the repeal in this lame-duck session.
For those who have fought to overturn the policy for nearly two decades, the Senate’s action was “akin to the Berlin Wall coming down,” according to one activist.
“Today, America lived up to its highest ideals of freedom and equality,” added Joe Solmonese, the president of the gay-rights group Human Rights Campaign who was on hand for the vote. “Congress recognized that all men and women have the right to openly serve their country. Plenty of people had already planned the funeral for this legislation. Today, we pulled out a victory from what was almost certain defeat just a few days ago.”
Senators who championed repeal framed the vote as a major new step forward for civil rights. Since 1993, more than 14,000 service members had been discharged from military service under the “don’t ask” policy.
“It took too long, but remember Dr. [Martin Luther] King said, ‘The moral arc of the universe may bend slowly, but it always bends toward justice,’” said Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), a lead sponsor of the legislation. “Today, we’ve done justice.”
A recent Pentagon report, based on a broad survey of the U.S armed forces, concluded that repeal would not harm military readiness or troop morale. That finding was supported by testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
But Republicans, led by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), pointed to comments from the leaders of the Marines, Army and Air Force who say repealing the policy while the military is engaged in two wars adds stress to an already-stretched force and poses significant risks for troops.
Marine Commandant Gen. James Amos said earlier this week that allowing openly gay men and women to serve could lead to “distractions” and “mistakes” that “cost Marine lives.”
McCain, the ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee, also took issue with Reid for holding lame-duck votes on the repeal and an immigration bill called the DREAM Act. The Nevada Democrat is living in a “bizzarro world,” said McCain, one of a handful of Republicans who have threatened to block ratification of the new START nuclear-arms treaty with Russia because of Saturday’s votes.
“I do think that by jamming this through at this time, in the way it was done, makes it much harder to continue to work on the START treaty. And I think it’s more likely than not that it will be moved over to next year,” said Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
“I think you can only poison the well so much around here, but we’ll see what Sen. Reid does. ...” Cornyn added. “If he is going to try to deny us an opportunity to offer amendments and close off debate, I think we need to pack it up and go home and come back in January."
Reid fired back, arguing that GOP obstinance would hurt national security.
“They’re going to vote against an international treaty dealing with nuclear weapons because they had to vote on the DREAM Act and ‘don’t ask, don’t tell?’ Now that’s real statesmanship,” Reid told reporters.
“They’re saying that because we are making our military strong by outlawing discrimination, they want to make America weaker by making it easier for terrorists to get nuclear weapons.”
The repeal measure, passed by the Senate Saturday, already cleared the Democratic-controlled House this week along a mostly party-line 250-175 vote. It now goes directly to the president for his promised signature.
The repeal, however, wouldn’t take effect immediately. Obama, Gates and Mullen would have to certify to Congress that they have reviewed the Pentagon report on the impacts of repeal, that the Defense Department is prepared to implement repeal and that doing so would not harm military readiness, troop morale, and recruiting and retention.
The policy would be repealed 60 days after the president submits the document.
"It is therefore important that our men and women in uniform understand that while today's historic vote means that this policy will change, the implementation and certification process will take an additional period of time,” Gates said in a statement. “In the meantime, the current law and policy will remain in effect.
Retired Marine Corps Gen. Clifford Stanley, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, would head up implementation of the changes, Gates said.
"Successful implementation will depend upon strong leadership, a clear message and proactive education throughout the force,” he added.
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 25.
#2. To: hondo68 (#0)
When I was in the US Army during the South Vietnam police action, if anyone was considered "queer" they got the shit beat out of them. Those that performed the deed, "didn't ask or tell." The fucker that was beat to a pulp quit ... never again to be seen.
I didn't realize that you were so intolerant, bucky.
Tolerance within a fighting machine? Only an ignorant PC Congress would chase out REAL men from the military based on this legislation. What you are seeing is the wanton disregard of serious soldier camaraderie based on trust and reliability within a fighting unit. I suppose all new military uniforms shall be created with pink flowers embroidered on the lapels. How about pink M-16s loaded with fresh marshmallows?
Only an ignorant bigot would socially lynch important people out of the military who have important skills like being a translator, a scarce medical worker, or any other military occupational specialty we are short of to the point it hurts the mission. Often that's what bigotry against homosexuals does. It often endangers people and puts the mission at hand in jeopardy.
Nice speech. Now,let's interject a little reality into the "bunnies and sunflowers" viewpoint. You and I both know it would be fine if homosexuals were restricted as to the duties they could serve,but we BOTH know this won't happen. Even if it started out that way,there is a 100% certainty they will be filing discrimination suits to get promoted into jobs that will help their careers. I flat out state that NO homosexual,open or in the closet,should EVER served in a combat command position. For the same reasons we don't have male commanders of female troops in combat commands. This is one of the few jobs in the world where the "boss" has not only the power to order the troops under his command into attacks where they are almost certainly going to get killed,but the DUTY to do so. This power makes turning down sexual advances by your commander a risky thing to do. AND.....,we all know it is just a part of the leftist agenda to destroy the US Military as a fighting organizaton and into a social jobs organization. If homosexual males are allowed to command combat troops,pretty soon there will be demands and lawsuits demanding females be given these command decisions. And even before that the standards for military schools will be lowered even further to avoid suits,and our military schools will become identical to our public schools and not fail anybody with a pulse. Do you REALLY want a artillery gun crew or a C-130 gunship to support you that is commanded by somebody with ADD or some other learning disability? Look around you now at all the losers who have graduated from high school in the last 10 years that car barely read and write,if they can read and write at all.
Women, OH NO!
Women, OH NO! These things sometimes end badly.
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#3. To: buckeroo (#2)
#7. To: Fred Mertz (#3)
#10. To: buckeroo (#7)
"Only an ignorant PC Congress would chase out REAL men from the military based on this legislation."
#16. To: Ferret Mike (#10)
Only an ignorant bigot would socially lynch important people out of the military who have important skills like being a translator, a scarce medical worker, or any other military occupational specialty we are short of to the point it hurts the mission.
#24. To: sneakypete (#16)
...soon there will be demands and lawsuits demanding females be given these command decisions.
#25. To: lucysmom (#24)
there will be demands and lawsuits demanding females be given these command decisions
Joan of Arc's military career comes to an end, by burning at the stake.
Replies to Comment # 25.
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