"It's time to close this chapter of our history," Obama said in a statement. "It is time to recognize the sacrifice, courage and integrity are not defined by sexual orientation are not race or gender, religion or creed. It's time to allow gay and lesbian Americans to serve their country openly .
Six Republicans - Senators Scott Brown, of Massachusetts, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, Mark Kirk of Illinois, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and George Voinovich of Ohio - broke with his party to give Democrats the votes needed to break a GOP filibuster. The measure was subsequently approved, 65 to 31. Senators John Ensign (R) of Nevada and Richard Burr (R) North Carolina also joined Democrats in the final vote.
'Do not Ask, Do not say: Can you handle a repeal military ban on homosexuals?
The House passed an identical repeal on Wednesday, 250-175, sending the bill to the White House. At least 60 days before the law takes effect, both the President and the Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, have to certify that ending the "do not ask, do not tell" policy will not adversely affect military preparedness or moral.
This issue was an important issue in today's debate in the Senate. The Senate Armed Services Committee held two days of hearings on the final report of a Pentagon task force that reviewed the issue.
Their conclusion was that the repeal of the ban "would present a low risk to the effectiveness of the military, even during times of war," said Sen. Carl Levin (D) of Michigan, who chairs the panel.
"Seventy percent of members surveyed believe that the impact on their units would be positive, mixed or of no consequence", said during floor debate Saturday. "While the combat units expressed greater concern about the consequences of repeal, such concerns disappeared from the troops who have worked with a coworker gay or lesbian."
But the ranking Republican on the panel, Senator John McCain of Arizona and other GOP critics of the Pentagon inquiry criticized for focusing on the implementation of the lifting of the ban, not whether the repeal was in fact good policy .
"The commander of the Marine Corps has said he believes that changing this policy in this manner may cause distraction from the Marine Corps so much she is worried about rising casualties," said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) South Carolina, citing recent comments Commandant of the Marine Corps General James Amos.
"From the Marines I spoke, it simply reflects what the Board members are going," said Sen. Pat Roberts (R) of Kansas, a former Marine who voted against the repeal, in an interview. "Marines are different. We fought in close combat units. This will lead to some very bad situations that could have been avoided if he had taken on a step by step basis."
Sen. Jim Webb (D) of Virginia, also a veteran of the Marine Corps, said from the floor that the issue was not whether there should be gays and lesbians in the military.
"They are already there," he said, adding that the issue is not whether the policy will lead anyone to engage in misconduct.
"We will not allow that and we will be very strong in our oversight of the Department of Defense to ensure that does not occur," he said, noting that the Pentagon is committed to "sequential implementation" of the new policy for different units in the army.
Today's vote fulfills a campaign promise last two Democratic presidents.
President Clinton campaigned in 1992 for "lifting the ban" on homosexuals serving in the army, but was opposed by Congress. The issue of "gays in the military," also sparked a storm of protest among some conservative Christian groups, radio, and within the military, and became virtual shorthand for the ills of Clinton's first year in office.
In July 1993, the Clinton administration proposed "do not ask, do not tell" policy as a compromise, which Congress passed into law in November.
But social conservatives have been in much of the last fight in the repeal of prohibition. The activists who lobbied lawmakers outside the Senate chamber today were all human rights activists committed to repeal.
"Conservative groups are not here because they will lose," said David Smith, vice president of the Human Rights Campaign, the largest group of gay and lesbian civil rights. "Public attitudes have changed. There are people on the front in the fight who know gays and lesbians in the ranks. Eighty percent say there is no problem."
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