Despite the growing momentum behind a standalone bill that would repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell — and an appeal from Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) to hold a vote on that bill in the next few days — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is still unwilling to announce the exact timing of debate on the bill.
At a press conference this afternoon, Reid said that the standalone bill will come up before the end of the lame duck session (which, he noted, could go on until Jan. 5 if necessary) — but he didn’t say when exactly he’ll raise it, or where DADT repeal falls on the long priority list of legislation Reid wants to see considered before the 111th Congress ends.
“I don’t know if I’ll bring it before Christmas,” Reid said. “But before this Congress ends, we’re going to complete or have a vote on the START treaty, the DREAM Act, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, 9/11 — and hopefully we can get an agreement on nominations, otherwise we’ll have some votes on nominations.”
Essentially, Reid said what he’s been saying all along — he’s for DADT repeal, and he wants to do it, but he won’t say where it falls on the list of agenda items. Repeal has the support of enough senators to overcome a GOP filibuster — 61 have signed on so far — but there’s no guarantee when a vote will be.
Lieberman was expected to ask Reid to move DADT up (preferably to a Saturday or Sunday vote) during the Democratic caucus meeting today. His office released this statement on Reid’s presser:
Senator Lieberman knows that Senator Reid shares his commitment to repealing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and holding a vote on the stand-alone bill, but worries that delaying the vote until after Christmas could put repeal in jeopardy. He hopes the Senate will move to the repeal bill as soon as possible after a vote on the spending bill.
So now, after a day basking in the House passage of its own version of a standalone repeal bill, supporters of DADT repeal are right back where they started: waiting for repeal to find its slot on the calendar and hoping that there will be enough time to get it done.
Check out video of the Reid presser (h/t ThinkProgess) here:
