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Senate Armed Services Committee Votes 16-12 to Repeal DADT

By a 16-12 vote, the Senate Armed Services Committee has approved the Levin-Lieberman Amendment. The amendment begins the process of dismantling the 17-year-old "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that prohibits gays and serving openly in the military. This is the first time Congress has ever attempted to repeal the ban in its nearly 17 year history.

The roll call is AFTER THE JUMP ....

The language was submitted by SASC Chairman Carl Levin (MI) and Joseph Lieberman (CT) as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. The measure allows Congress to vote now to repeal the current law, but, actual implementation begins after completion of the Pentagon Working Group study due December 1 and upon certification. Since the amendment has passed committee, it would require 60 votes to strip repeal from the bill during the floor debate. Background HERE and HERE.

Susan Collins of Maine was the sole Republican on the panel to approve the measure. Virginia's Jim Webb was the only Democrat to vote against it. The vote was held in closed session. Fifteen votes were needed for passage.

Rep. Patrick Murphy will offer similar language as an amendment to the NDAA on the House floor later tonight or tomorrow. Murphy and Speaker Nancy Pelosi expect the amendment to pass.

UPDATE: The House is debating now. Watch CSPAN1 or Houselive.gov.

The roll call is AFTER THE JUMP ....

 

READ: Sen. Nelson's Statement on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Repeal

Sen. Ben Nelson, the conservative Nebraska Democrat, announced that he will vote YES on the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal compromise.

From the statement via Open Left:

"I will support the Lieberman compromise because it removes politics from the process. It bases implementation of the repeal on the Pentagon’s review and a determination by our military leaders that repeal is consistent with military readiness and effectiveness, and that the Pentagon has prepared the necessary regulations to make the changes.

"I spoke to Secretary Gates and he advised that while he preferred waiting until the study is completed, he can live with this compromise.

"The Lieberman compromise shows that Congress values the Pentagon’s review that will include the advice and viewpoints from our men in women in uniform, from outside experts and from the American people about how to implement the repeal. It rests ultimate authority to make this change with our military leaders. I believe this is the right thing to do."

The National Defense Authorization Act is being marked up this afternoon. The Senate Armed Services Committee vote is expected tomorrow. The House of Representatives will also vote tomorrow.

REPORT: Sen. Ben Nelson to Cast Key YES Vote on DADT Repeal

Sen. Ben Nelson will announce that he is voting YES on the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal compromise, reports Open Left.

Only last week, the conservative Nebraska Democrat announced he would not vote for repeal before the Pentagon finished its year-long review. "Nelson’s support brings the total number of votes in the Senate Armed Services Committee to 15," reports the Wonk Room. "Enough to attach the delayed-implementation amendment (offered by Lieberman (I-CT)) to the Defense Authorization measure on Thursday. When the amendment passes in committee, it would require 60 votes to strip repeal from the bill during the floor debate."

In related news: The Advocate's Kerry Eleveld writes the White House has been largely missing in action on DADT repeal and had to be "drag[ged] across the finish line."

"The White House and Gates seemingly didn’t want a vote this year. Activists wouldn’t let up. Murphy, Levin, and Lieberman put in a heroic effort to salvage repeal. And in my estimation, when Levin was one vote away in the Senate committee, White House officials realized the repeal train was leaving without them and not hopping aboard was a no-win situation. If it passed, they would get no credit; if it failed by one vote, activists would castigate them for withholding support. This compromise could still fail, and make no mistake, the deal was brokered by the White House, which then treated it as the redheaded stepchild it never wanted in the first place. But the outcome — win or lose — now has the administration's fingerprints on it, even though its refrain since Monday morning has been that Congress was forcing its hand."

Politico reports the Speaker Pelosi, Levin, Lieberman and Rep. Patrick Murphy "forced" the White House to get involved at the 11th hour. "'They got the message, I think, actually really from Pelosi that [Congress was] going to try to do this with or without the White House. ... They could be part of it or not be part of it,' said Richard Socarides, liaison to the gay community under President Bill Clinton. 'She figured if Congress tried to get something done and failed, the White House would be blamed. If it tried to get something done and succeeded, and they stood on the sidelines, they’d look like jerks, and it would sort of make the president look bad. It was her leadership and her willingness to be out in front on this at the end that forced their hand.'"