Update: Other cloture votes now being conducted in the Senate on CSPAN
Update: Senate action stopped until 6:30 PM ET
Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas had previously stated that he could not support repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell because he thinks homosexuality is a sin:
Pryor... now tells the Democrat-Gazette that he opposes repeal; that he thinks homosexuality is a sin and that he has reservations about housing gay troops with straight troops...
But within the last twenty-four hours some kind of religious transformation (or bodily takeover by space aliens) must have occurred, because Senator Pryor just issued a statement in support of repeal and cloture on the National Defense Authorization Act (the bill that contains the DADT repeal amendment clause).
On many previous occasions, I have said that I would oppose repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell until I had heard from our servicemen and women regarding this policy. I have now carefully reviewed all of the findings, reports, and testimony from our armed forces on this matter and I accept the Pentagon's recommendations to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell. I also accept the Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs' commitment that this policy can be implemented in a manner that does not harm our military's readiness, recruitment, or retention. We have the strongest military in the world and we will continue to do so by ensuring our troops have the resources necessary to carry out their missions. Therefore, I support the 2011 Defense Authorization Act that passed the Senate Armed Services Committee and will support procedural measures to bring it to a vote this year.
Coinciding with this rather amazing development is Harry Reid's announcement that he may bring up the NDAA for a cloture vote this evening:
"And I'm likely going to move to my motion to reconsider on the Defense Authorization Act this evening. Allowing, as I will indicate at that time, time for amendments to that piece of legislation."
In further encouraging news, Maine's Senator Collins, who had previously insisted that she would not vote for cloture on the NDAA until and unless budgetary and tax issues were 'resolved', is now hedging:
Collins spokesman Kevin Kelley emails me (The Plum Line):
Senator Collins has maintained that the Senate should be focused on taxes and the economy (especially since the tax provisions expire on January 1) and obviously we need to pass a bill funding the government before Friday.
These are top priorities and there is limited time.
However, she believes there is time to consider other issues as well, and she has made it clear that if the Majority Leader brings the Defense Authorization bill to the floor, for example, and allows sufficient debate and amendments, she would vote to proceed to the bill.
Asked for further clarification, Kelley confirmed that this could happen even if the Bush tax cuts have not yet been extended. Collins, you will recall, has long said she will support repeal of DADT if Harry Reid allows an extended and open debate and amendment process. If Reid goes through with this, Collins could very well buck McConnell and vote for repeal.
Update: See the comments for further developments vis a vis Collins. Claims and counterclaims. Denials and denials of denials.
Update: From the front page.
In a nutshell, Collins is asking Democratic leaders for unlimited debate on the defense bill. Reid, in turn, is offering Collins a compromise: votes on 10 separate amendments, seven of which would come from Republicans, three of which would come from Democrats.
Collins has responded that this isn't good enough, and she'll refuse to let the Senate vote up or down on the legislation.
Update: More recent Collins info from another diary
Assuming the report on Collins is correct, where does that leave a cloture vote? On the Democrats' side, there are still two holdouts: Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas. Cancelling one of them out is Senator Collins, leaving cloture still three votes short of the necessary 60 votes.
Update: According to a commenter, Lincoln will support repeal (and presumably is a yes on the cloture vote).
Potential votes for repeal include Kirk, Ensign, Snowe, Voinovitch, Brown, Murkowski and Lugar, although all of them have signed the infamous letter to Mitch McConnell refusing to vote for any other proposition until tax breaks for the wealthy are a done deal (as did Collins).
Update: According to Louise on PHB, Ensign will not vote for cloture on DREAM or NDAA, despite his earlier almost unequivocal support for DADT repeal.
"the Lame Duck session is not the time to vote on such matter"
What an ass.
If the Democrats could pull their caucus together, that would leave repeal just one vote short. Does Senator Pryor's change of heart indicate that political pressure is being applied by Harry Reid and/or the Administration? Could the White House realize that the last thing they need is both the LGBT community and the progressive community ready to roast the President (figuratively) over an open fire?
Or is it all for show? Simply an attempt by the Democrats to be able to say, once again
"We tried, but those evil Republicans continue to block us at every turn? We're so sorry. Wait until 2017."
We may know in less than 10 hours.
Here's contact information for possible swing votes for Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal.
This may be our last chance to influence their vote: Please call and email!
BLANCHE LINCOLN
ARKANSAS
202-224-4843
email
501-375-2993 870-382-1023 870-910-6896 479-251-1224
912 West Fourth Street, Little Rock, AR 72201
SUSAN COLLINS
MAINE
202-224-2523
email
207-622-8414 207-945-0417 207-780-3575
One Canal Plazam, Suite 802, Portland, ME 04101
OLYMPIA SNOWE
MAINE
202-224-5344
email
207-786-2451 207-622-8292 207-945-0432
3 Canal Plaza, Suite 601, Portland, ME 04101
SCOTT BROWN
MASSACHUSETTS
202-224-4543
email
617-565-3170
2400 JFK Federal Building, 55 New Sudbury Street, Boston, MA 02203
GEORGE VOINOVICH
OHIO
202-224-3353
email
216-522-7095, 513-684-3265, 419-259-3895
1240 East 9th Street, Room 3061, Cleveland, OH 44199
LISA MURKOWSKI
ALASKA
202-224-6665
email
907-456-0233, 907-271-3735
101 12th Ave, Room 216, Fairbanks, AK 99701
DICK LUGAR
INDIANA
202-224-4814
email
812-465-6313 317-226-5555
180 Market Tower, 10 West Market St., Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
MARK KIRK
ILLINOIS
202-224-2854
707 Skokie Boulevard, Suite 350, Northbrook, IL 60062
312-886-3506
JOE MANCHIN
WEST VIRGINIA
202-224-3954
email (governor's page)
304-205-5889 (senate campaign office phone)
JUDD GREGG
NEW HAMPSHIRE
202-224-3324
email
603-225-7115, 603-622-7979
125 North Main Street, Concord, NH 03301
KIT BOND
MISSOURI
202-224-5721
email
816-471-7141 314-725-4484
7700 Bonhomme, #615 St. Louis, MO 63105
WHITE HOUSE
White House Comment Line: 202-456-1111
Email the White House: form
MORE SENATORS
Contact information for all Senators: US Senate