After a couple of meetings at the White House today with gay and congressional leaders, the Washington Post reports that the Senate Armed Services Committee is set to vote on adding a repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” to a routine defense authorization bill. At least six senators on the panel are considered undecided on whether or not to get rid of the ban on gays serving openly in the military. Nancy Pelosi has said that she will allow a floor vote on a similar measure by Representative Patrick Murphy in the House, even though it was not included in the defense spending bill when it went through the House Armed Services Committee. Pelosi says the vote is contingent on Murphy’s bill having enough support in the full House, but the Post reports that it’s unclear if it does (Murphy says he’s got the necessary 217 votes). If the repeal does get passed, it won’t go into effect until the results come in from a White House and Pentagon-ordered study on what its effects would be, and how to implement it. That study is set to be completed in December. It’s also notable that this compromise would not include a policy of nondiscrimination — something that gay advocates have been hoping for so that a future president would not have the power to change policy once again.
’Don’t ask, don’t tell’ compromise in the works [Federal Eye/WP]
A Deal on DADT? [Advocate]
