Protesters Rally as Stand-alone DADT Repeal Bill Introduced in Senate

After last Thursday's procedural senate train wreck that derailed the National Defense Authorization Bill and DADT repeal, Senator Joe Leiberman (D-CT) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) put their heads together on Friday and introduced legislation to overturn the anti-gay policy. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also got to work on legislation which she has vowed to push through the house.

The Washington Post reported on Friday:

Several Democratic senators are cosponsoring the new measure, and while Sens. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) - key potential GOP votes - remain supportive of ending the ban, they are not expected to cosponsor it, according to Senate aides. The aides asked their names be withheld because they are not authorized to speak publicly on the issue.

Lieberman and Collins hatched their plans during Thursday's defense bill vote, concluding that a standalone measure would succeed if introduced after senators vote on tax cut legislation.

Reid has promised Lieberman that he will use his power as majority leader - which allows him to bypass the committee process - and introduce the bill for a vote, aides said.

President Obama wants to explore all legislative options to overturn the ban during the lame-duck session, White House aides said Friday. His campaign operation e-mailed supporters asking them to lobby Republicans to vote for the new bill.

Meanwhile there was a rally on Friday afternoon in DC near the Senate Office Building calling on the House and Senate to forgo Christmas vacation and stay in town until they get this thing done. News reports are that between 150 and 200 activists and military veterans turned out for the rally, which was organized by Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and Servicemembers United. 

ABC News reports:

“None of us gets to go home for Christmas until we’re done with our jobs, the Senate doesn’t go home until it’s done with its job,” said Commander Zoe Dunning of the United States Navy.

Amid chants of “Don’t go home,” the protesters stressed that legislators had an obligation to the straight and LGBT service members stationed across the world through the Christmas holidays.

“If I can serve overseas in harm’s way for four Christmases defending my nation then the Senate can certainly do the same,” said Major Mike Almy of the United States Air Force.

Gay and straight activists shared stories of personal struggle and sought to show that, no matter the orientation, all service members serve the same military.

“Today all around the globe our service members in the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines, the Coast Guard are standing watch in the cold, like we are today, some might be a little bit lucky and are in slightly warmer places but they’re standing watch and their orientation has nothing to do with their ability to do their job,” said former Sergeant Pepe Johnson.

Interestingly, although HRC had someone at the rally, it wasn't Joe Solmonese, who has been virtually invisible for the last few months. Hmmm...

Related articles

• Renewed hope on DADT (bilerico.com)
• Joint Statement from Gay Inc about DADT (bilerico.com)
• Senators Lieberman and Collins to Introduce Stand-Alone 'DADT' Repeal Bill; Reid Promises a Vote on It (towleroad.com)
• Watch: Aubrey Sarvis Tells Rachel Maddow a Stand-Alone 'DADT' Bill Has a 'Good Chance' of Passing in the Lame Duck Senate (towleroad.com)

DADT Repeal Dies in Senate Over Failed Leadership and Bush Tax Cuts

As we started the day Thursday we had so much hope that a deal would be struck in the senate and the National Defense Authorization Act containing DADT repeal would pass with the 60 needed votes to override a republican filibuster. The deal proposed by Republicans Susan Collins (ME), Scott Brown (MA) and Lisa Murkowski (AK) was that they would support repeal, provided the senate took up the issue of whether or not to extend the Bush tax cuts, which included not just extending cuts for the wealthy, but for the rest of us as well.

They didn't say their support depended on passing the cuts, just bringing up for a vote before any other business. Sounds reasonable, right?

Due to the inept leadership of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Armed Services Chair Carl Levin, the senate chose to push the NDAA to the head of the line, we lost those three key votes and one more from WVa Democrat Joe Manchin, killing repeal as part of the military spending package, which seemed to be our best chance for getting it done.

Reid blamed the defeat on Republican obstructionism, telling the Huffington Post, "It's clear that Republicans don't want to hold a vote on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' They want to block a bill on this at all costs, even if it means not passing the defense authorization bill for the first time in 48 years."

For her part, Collins said yesterday, "I thought we were extremely close to getting to an agreement yesterday." She added, "I think there was such a clear path to get this done and I am perplexed and frustrated that this important bill is going to become the victim of politics."


Senator Joe Lieberman is refusing to admit defeat and proposes a stand-alone bill for DADT repeal. He contends it would be easier to get to 60 votes, including Collins, Brown and Murkowski with a stand-alone bill. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is hammering together a house version, which she says can be pushed though congress during the lame duck session. President Obama has also expressed support for the stand-alone bill.

I want to point out that both Virginia senators, Jim Webb and Mark Warner, who each said they were reserving their support for repeal pending the release of the DADT repeal study, voted for repeal yesterday. Please take a minute today to thank them both.Click the links above to send them an email.

It's looking more and more as though our best chance for winning the right to serve openly remains in the pending federal court challenge.

There will be a rally today at 12:00 noon at the intersection of Constitution Ave. and Delaware Ave., NE, Upper Senate Park, North of U.S. Capitol in Washington, calling on the senate to stay in town until this thing is done. Aubrey Sarvis of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network released a statement this morning, which says, in part:

“We need to be on the bill that moves, period. We support Sen. Lieberman’s plan to move a standalone bill. We also believe another viable option is the Continuing Resolution (CR) coming over from the U.S. House of Representatives. The Senate and the President must remain in session and in Washington to find another path for repeal to get done in the lame-duck. We implore all who support repeal to join us TODAY outside the Senate at noon’, said Aubrey Sarvis, Army veteran and executive director for Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.

Related articles

• Dadt Fail: 57-40 (themoderatevoice.com)
• Breaking: Hope For DADT Legislative Repeal Dies [Asking And Telling] (jezebel.com)
• White House, Pelosi Signal Support For Standalone DADT Repeal Bill (huffingtonpost.com)
• DADT Repeal Fails (slog.thestranger.com)
• Senate Republicans kill DADT repeal (again) (washingtonmonthly.com)
• DADT repeal dies on the battlefield (bilerico.com)

Hate Group Family Research Council Freaking Out Over Imminent DADT Repeal

It's getting so a hater can't get a break these days. LGBT rights advocates aren't the only ones man-on-manning  the phones and typing their little fingers off over this week's anticipated senate vote on DADT repeal.

FRC leader Tony Perkins has been working himself into a lather over the prospect of gays with weapons serving their country. The hate group has been phone banking and sending out e-mail blasts to supporters encouraging them to call their senators to tell them to vote against funding the U.S. military if it means the gays get to stop hiding.

We've got to match every one of their phone calls with two of our own. 202-224-3121. Call Now!

Talking Points Memo reports:

The group says that the only way to stop the "pro-homosexual agenda" is for Senators to vote against cloture. The FRC could be right, as far as it goes -- most say that unless the DADT repeal moves toward a vote soon, debate over repeal could be kicked over to the next Congress where it's far less likely to find quarter. So far only, three Republican Senators -- Scott Brown (MA), Susan Collins (ME) and Lisa Murkowski (AK) -- have announced they support repeal. And even then, there are stipulations attached to their support.

FRC President Tony Perkins writes in the Action Alert that he hopes Republicans can stop the growing chorus for repeal dead in its tracks tonight.

"Senator Reid has arranged it that pro-family Senators do not have an opportunity to offer any of their own amendments to counter his political abuse of our military," Perkins wrote in the alert. "This means the only way to stop this monstrosity is to vote against proceeding to the bill."

Related articles

• DADT Repeal On The Brink (andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com)
• Senate Delays DADT Vote (lezgetreal.com)

DADT Repeal Hinges on Renewing Bush Tax Cuts for the Wealthy

What a day it was for back room deal making on Capital Hill Wednesday, as reports came out that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was set to bring the National Defense Authorization Act to a vote last night. There was so much back and forth with what was or wasn't happening or going to happen throughout the day that it was like watching a really bad game of ping pong with your civil rights. By the end of the night, the only balls in play were being held firmly by Republican Susan Collins, who spent the afternoon negotiating with Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT), who was picked by the president to oversee DADT repeal.

As it stands right now, the potential votes are so close that Collins and two other key Republicans will determine whether or not gay and lesbian troops can serve openly, but their support comes at a hefty price: the extension of the Bush tax cuts that President Obama promised to repeal during his campaign and for the first two years of his presidency.

Democrats are furious with the president for caving in to GOP blackmail. The Big O will be furiously working the phones over the next couple of days, desperately trying to convince his party that this is the best deal he could make. Obama is turning out to be the best president Republicans could have hoped for as he leaves his supporters in the rear view mirror.

If this deal goes through, it puts the LGBT community squarely in the cross hairs for retribution if this gamble on economic stimulus doesn't work. What the GOP also gets in this deal is the ability to offer up to 10 amendments to the defense bill, with the Dems getting only five. 

Collins released the following statement Wednesday night:

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins, who supports repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” released this statement tonight.

“Senator Joe Lieberman and I continue to negotiate in good faith with the Majority Leader to try and come up with a fair process under which the important Defense Authorization bill could be considered in the limited time remaining in this session. Without a fair process, the motion to proceed to the bill would likely fail in the U.S. Senate.

"Senator Lieberman and I requested a meeting with Senator Harry Reid last week during which we outlined a specific plan for allowing debate and amendments similar to how the Senate has considered the authorization bill in the past.

"It wasn’t until 1:35 pm today that I received a legitimate offer from Senator Reid, which I consider a good starting point. We made a counter offer which would provide sufficient time for debate, and includes protections to help ensure that Republicans would be able to offer a limited but fair number of amendments that are relevant to this legislation.

"I am encouraged that the Majority Leader decided to postpone the vote he had scheduled for tonight. I urged him to do this so that we could consider the tax legislation first, which I believe could be on the floor as early as tomorrow and completed quickly. At that point, I believe we could move immediately to the Defense Authorization bill under a fair agreement, and I would vote to do so. I would hope he carefully considers our proposal. I believe we have outlined a very clear path forward for the Majority Leader to take that would allow this very important debate to occur."

Related articles

• Murkowski Support for 'DADT' Repeal Puts 60 Votes Within Reach (towleroad.com)
• UPDATE: Senate Negotiations Fast and Furious as Endgame for 'DADT' Repeal Looms (towleroad.com)
• Where things stand on DADT (washingtonmonthly.com)
• Collins positioned to kill DADT repeal (washingtonmonthly.com)

Senate Fails on DADT Repeal

This is what wimps look like.

The Senate voted 46 - 53 on Tuesday, against limiting debate on the National Defense Authorization Act, opening the door for Republicans, led by John "Grumpy Old Man" McCain to filibuster the bill until the clock runs out before the mid-term elections.

The bill includes language to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell and funding for several unpopular projects, including a Trojan Horse that would provide nearly $500 million for a jet fighter engine that nobody, including the president, wants to fund.

The House approved repeal language last Spring. The senate will have a few weeks to revisit the bill again in December, during it's year-end, post-election lame duck session.

The New York Times reports:

The outcome, at a time when Congress is increasingly paralyzed by the partisan fury of the midterm elections, was more a result of a dispute between Democrats and Republicans over legislative process than a straightforward referendum on whether to allow gay, lesbian and bisexual soldiers to serve openly.

President Obama, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have all said they favor repealing the 17-year-old policy. And the House has already approved legislation that would allow the Pentagon to rescind it, while the legal fight is advancing in the federal courts.

But Senate Republicans voted unanimously to block debate on the bill, the annual authorization of military programs, after the majority leader, Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada, said he would attach a number of the Democrats’ election-year priorities to it while also moving to limit the amendments offered by Republicans.

One Republican, Susan Collins of Maine, said she voted to block the bill for procedural reasons despite supporting the provision to allow repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Other Republicans have suggested they might be open to supporting the change later in the year, once the military has finished a study of the likely effects of the proposed policy shift.

Why is it that the Republicans were able to shove the Bush agenda down the throats of Americans for eight years, yet the Democrats can't seem to get their act together enough to pass something 80% of Americans are in favor of? Say what you want about the GOP, but they know how to use their power when they have it. The do-nothing Dems could take a lesson from them.

The Human Rights Campaign, Servicemembers United and Servicemembers Legal Defense Network have all released statements of outrage and disappointment. The focus, for the time being, is now on pressuring Attorney General Eric Holder, not to challenge the recent federal court ruling declaring DADT unconstitutional. Given the Obama Administration's record of talking out of both sides of its mouth on LGBT rights, I don't see much hope for them letting the ruling stand.

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Gaga Rallies in Maine as Senate Prepares to Vote on DADT (video)

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) hits the Senate today for a vote on cloture, a procedure that puts a time limit on debate over legislation. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is hoping to avoid a Republican filibuster over the inclusion on language in the bill which would repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT).

Even without the DADT repeal language, NDAA faces some tough obstacles. The bill includes $500 million in funding for a controversial jet engine that nobody, including the president, wants to fund. If the vote does not take place before the November elections, then it it not likely to happen until next year. Support is still too close to call. The 60 votes needed to avoid a filibuster may not be there.

Lady Gaga appeared at a rally Monday in Portland, Maine, called 4THE14K, referring to the 14 thousand service men and women dismissed under DADT since it became law in 1993. The bisexual pop diva addressed a a crowd estimated at 2,000 in an effort to get moderate Republican Maine senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins to commit to crossing the aisle and voting for repeal. The two have indicated in the past that they would support overturning the discriminatory policy, but now may be waffling.

It's not too late to get involved. Call your senators today and tell them to support the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. The number for the congressional switchboard in DC is 202-224-3121.

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ENDA Hearings Begin Today

The Employment Non-discrimination Act (ENDA) hearings begin today on Capital Hill. The bill is the first to include gender identity in its protections against workplace discrimination. I met with Congressman Rick Boucher's (Va. 9th District) staff last month to enlist his support of the bill. Congressman Boucher has a mixed history on LGBT rights, but he is all about creating jobs in his district and helping to ensure that those that are here stay here. His staff was optimistic that he would support ENDA.

SistersTalk will be live blogging from the hearings.

OnTop.com has a good piece on it.

"The Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions' November 5 hearing will be the bill's first outing since its August introduction by two Democratic Senators – the late Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy and Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley – and two Republican Senators – Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine.

The measure would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity (transgender protections).

“This is a very exciting step forward in our efforts to pass this important legislation and guarantee every American, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, the right to earn a living,” Julie Edwards, communications director for Senator Jeff Merkley, said in an email.

Thirty four co-sponsors signed on in August. Since then the bill has attracted the support of seven more senators.

Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank introduced the House version of ENDA in July.

Both versions of the bill have been reworked, adding back transgender protections removed from last year's bill. Gay rights groups warned politicos last year that they would not support a gay-only protections bill.

“I am encouraged,” Frank told gay weekly the Washington Blade about the inclusion of transgender protections in this year's House bill. “I think the transgender community and others have been doing this in a very good way. This time they have been doing the lobbying.”

Despite the bill being watered down, it fizzed in the Senate after the House approved the measure.

Social conservatives who argue the legislation impinges on religious freedoms have vociferously opposed the measure.

“This bill will mean that employers will be forced to make employment decisions against their religious beliefs,” Ashley Home, federal policy analyst for the Christian-based group Focus on the Family, told Citizen Link.

The hearing comes on the heels of President Obama signing into law the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Jr. Hate Prevention Act, the nation's first major pro-gay law."