GOP blocks repeal of gay military ban

Republicans blocked a last-ditch effort in the Senate to lift the military's ban on openly gay troops yesterday, dealing a major blow to gay rights groups and making it unlikely Congress could repeal "don't ask, don't tell" any time soon.

The 57-40 vote fell three short of the 60 needed to overcome procedural hurdles to lift the 17-year-old ban. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine was the lone Republican voting to advance the bill, and Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia was the only Democrat to vote against it.

Repeal advocates said the fight wasn't over, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid seemed to have little appetite to return to the subject with only a week left in the lame-duck session and other major legislation pending.

"The other side may feel passionately that our military should sanction discrimination based on sexual orientation, but they are clearly in the minority," said Reid, a Nevada Democrat. "And they have run out of excuses."

Gay rights advocates were furious because the Senate vote failed largely because of a procedural disagreement.

"Instead of doing what is right, the world's greatest deliberative body devolved into shameful school yard spats that put petty partisan politics above the needs of our women and men in uniform," said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights group.

The 1993 law bans gay troops from publicly acknowledging their sexual orientation. A repeal provision was included in a broader defense policy bill and passed last spring in the House.

More than 60 senators were expected to support repeal, with at least four Republicans having said they support overturning "don't ask, don't tell."

But GOP senators were united in demanding that the Senate vote on tax cuts first. They also wanted assurances by Reid they would be given extensive time debate on the defense bill, which contained other divisive provisions including one that would allow abortions at overseas military facilities.

Democrats had said yesterday morning they remained hopeful a last-minute deal could be struck with Collins, believing her support would persuade other GOP senators - namely Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski - to advance the legislation.