DADT Repeal Bill Passes House 250-175

Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweets that the stand-alone DADT repeal bill has passed the U.S. House of Representatives 250-175.

Additionally, Senator Joe Lieberman, the author of S. 4023, the stand-alone bill to repeal DADT in the Senate, tweets that Senator Olympia Snowe has agreed to vote for DADT repeal. Currently S. 4023 has 44 co-sponsors, and one other Republican, the other Senator from Maine, Susan Collins.

DADT Repeal Bill Introduced in U.S. Senate

A standalone bill to repeal the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy was introduced on Friday December 10th and currently has 27 co-sponsors, including Republican Susan Collins and Independent Joe Lieberman, who sponsored the legislation, called S. 4023.

After a bid to keep DADT repeal in the National Defense Authorization Act failed by a  vote of 57-40 on Thursday (since it takes 60 votes to break a filibuster) this last-minute federal legislation is the only vehicle left by which DADT can be repealed before the end of the 111th Congress.

There are currently 28 explicit supporters of the bill (including Lieberman):

Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Bennet, Michael F. [CO] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Bingaman, Jeff [NM] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Boxer, Barbara [CA] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Cardin, Benjamin L. [MD] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Collins, Susan M. [ME] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Coons, Christopher A. [DE] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Dodd, Christopher J. [CT] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Feinstein, Dianne [CA] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Franken, Al [MN] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [NY] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Harkin, Tom [IA] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Lautenberg, Frank R. [NJ] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Leahy, Patrick J. [VT] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Levin, Carl [MI] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Lincoln, Blanche L. [AR] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Menendez, Robert [NJ] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Merkley, Jeff [OR] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Murray, Patty [WA] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Reid, Harry [NV] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Udall, Mark [CO] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Udall, Tom [NM] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Whitehouse, Sheldon [RI] - 12/10/2010 
Sen Wyden, Ron [OR] - 12/10/2010

Both Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi have agreed to move on the legislation before the end of the year.

Lieberman and Collins claim there are more than 60 votes to repeal DADT (Lisa Murkowki, Scott Brown, and Richard Lugar are all Republicans who have claimed to support the end of DADT). Even Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia who voted in favor of the filibuster has said that he would probably not vote that way again.

BREAKING: Senate Falls 3 Votes Short of DADT Repeal

The Senate has failed to invoke cloture on the NDAA including DADT repeal by a vote of 57-40.

Here is the president's statement:

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 9, 2010

Statement by the President on the Senate Vote on the National Defense Authorization Act

I am extremely disappointed that yet another filibuster has prevented the Senate from moving forward with the National Defense Authorization Act.  Despite having the bipartisan support of a clear majority of Senators, a minority of Senators are standing in the way of the funding upon which our troops, veterans and military families depend. This annual bill has been enacted each of the past 48 years, and our armed forces deserve nothing less this year. 

A minority of Senators were willing to block this important legislation largely because they oppose the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’  As Commander in Chief, I have pledged to repeal this discriminatory law, a step supported by the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and informed by a comprehensive study that shows overwhelming majorities of our armed forces are prepared to serve with Americans who are openly gay or lesbian.  A great majority of the American people agree.  This law weakens our national security, diminishes our military readiness, and violates fundamental American principles of fairness, integrity and equality.

I want to thank Majority Leader Reid, Armed Services Committee Chairman Levin, and Senators Lieberman and Collins for all the work they have done on this bill.  While today’s vote was disappointing, it must not be the end of our efforts.  I urge the Senate to revisit these important issues during the lame duck session.

###

Lieberman To Introduce Senate Bill To Repeal DADT

Well, looks like things are getting serious about the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the military's exclusionary policy on openly gay or lesbian officers serving their country. The blogs are a abuzz with the news that Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) will be serving as the lead sponsor of the United States Senate bill to repeal the policy.

Lieberman issued an official statement on DADT today:

“I will be proud to be a sponsor of the important effort to enable patriotic gay Americans to defend our national security and our founding values of freedom and opportunity. I have opposed the current policy of preventing gay Americans from openly serving in the military since its enactment in 1993. To exclude one group of Americans from serving in the armed forces is contrary to our fundamental principles as outlined in the Declaration of Independence and weakens our defenses by denying our military the service of a large group of Americans who can help our cause. I am grateful for the leadership of President Obama to repeal the policy and the support of Secretary Gates and Chief of Staff Admiral Mullen.”

Many people think that by having Lieberman, who caucuses with the majority Democrats but who most definitely is NOT a Democrat, be the lead sponsor of ending this policy makes it more likely it will actually happen this year, as many have insisted.

We'll see.

Federal DP Bill Advances To US Senate Floor

According to HRC Backstory, the United States Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee passed the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act, S.1102, (also known as DPBO) by a vote of 10-6 (8-1 official in-person vote) to the Senate floor, with five Republicans and Democrat David Pryor of Arkansas voting against the bill and Chairman Joe Lieberman ("Independent") and Ranking Member Susan Collins (Republican of Maine) voting in favor along with all the other Democrats on the committee.

The companion bill in the House which is sponsored by lesbian Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (Democrat of Wisconsin), H.R. 2517, is also pending on the floor of that body after having passed the House Committee on Oversight and Government Management on November 18th.

HRC sent out a press release lauding the Senate Committee action:

“Today’s markup in the Senate is an important step toward guaranteeing equal compensation for lesbian and gay workers serving our government at home and abroad,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “DPBO recognizes that equal pay for equal work is a value fundamental to American opportunity. We thank Chairman Lieberman for his leadership in ushering this important legislation through Congress.”

The Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act (DPBO) was introduced in the 111th Congress by Chairman Lieberman and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) in the Senate and by Congresswomen Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) in the House. DPBO would provide the same family benefits to lesbian and gay federal civilian employees as are already provided to employees with different-sex spouses. To receive benefits, employees would have to submit an affidavit of eligibility for benefits with the Office of Personnel Management, certifying that the employee and domestic partner meet necessary criteria, as provided in the Act.

DPBO would bring employment practices in the federal government in line with those of America’s largest and most successful corporations. Nearly 60% of Fortune 500 companies provide domestic partner benefits to their employees. In addition, 23 states, the District of Columbia, and over 150 local governments make benefits available to public employees and their same-sex partners. A May 2000 poll conducted by the Associated Press found that a majority of Americans favor the extension of health insurance coverage to same-sex partners. In addition, this legislation has been endorsed by the American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Harvard University, National Treasury Employees Union and United Church of Christ.

Looks like DPBO will make it to the President's desk before ENDA. Oh my bad, I forgot, there's been no progress on LGBT rights in the Obama Administration because Barack Obama hates "teh gays." STFU!