Bill to repeal 'don't ask, don't tell' policy clears

Sen. Joseph Lieberman, gives thumbs up with Sen. Susan Collins and Sen. Mark Udall as they head into a new conference about the passage of the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" bill.

WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says the Senate will take a final vote Saturday afternoon on legislation that would overturn the military ban on openly gay troops. The vote on ending the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy is set for 3 p.m. before senators turn to a nuclear arms treaty with Russia. Passage would send the military measure to the White House. Senators cleared the way for final action with a 63-33 vote earlier Saturday to move the bill ahead.The House passed an identical version of the bill this week. Repeal would mean that, for the first time in American history, gays would be openly accepted by the military and could acknowledge their sexual orientation without fear of being kicked out. More than 13,500 service members have been dismissed under the 1993 law.nRounding up a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate was a historic victory for President Barack Obama, who made repeal of the 17-year-old policy a campaign promise in 2008. It also was a political triumph for congressional Democrats who struggled in the final hours of the postelection session to overcome GOP objections on several legislative priorities before Republicans regain control of the House in January. Obama praises Senate action

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is praising senators as they near passage of legislation that would overturn the military ban on openly gay troops. Obama says that policy undermines U.S. national security and violates “the very ideals” that members of the armed services risk their lives to defend. A final Senate vote is set for 3 p.m. Saturday after a test vote in the morning set the stage to send the measure to Obama to sign. The president says ending the ban will mean that “thousands of patriotic Americans” won’t be forced to leave the military “despite years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay.” He also says many thousands more won’t be “asked to live a lie in order to serve the country they love.” “As Barry Goldwater said, ’You don’t have to be straight to shoot straight,’” Reid said, referring to the late GOP senator from Arizona. Even after the measure were to become law, the policy change wouldn’t go into effect right away. Obama and his military advisers would have certify that the change wouldn’t hurt the ability of troops to fight, and there would also be a 60-day waiting period. Sen. John McCain, Obama’s GOP rival in 2008, led the opposition. Speaking on the Senate floor minutes before the vote, the Arizona Republican acknowledged he didn’t have the votes to stop the bill. He blamed elite liberals with no military experience for pushing their social agenda on troops during wartime. The Pentagon’s uniformed chiefs are divided on whether this resistance might pose serious problems. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos has said he thinks lifting the ban during wartime could cost lives. “I don’t want to lose any Marines to the distraction,” he told reporters this week. “I don’t want to have any Marines that I’m visiting at Bethesda (Naval Medical Center) with no legs be the result of any type of distraction.”