Fate of "Don't Ask" Bill Uncertain in Senate
By: Karen Libby
Updated: December 16, 2010
(Washington, DC) -- President Obama is praising a House vote Wednesday to overturn "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" -- and allow gays to serve openly in the military. Now the bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate.
The House vote was not even close when Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) read the votes.
"The Yea's are 250... the Nay's are 175. The motion is adopted."
Democrats pushed through a last-minute bill that would repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy on gays in the military.
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell doesn't contribute to our national security and it contravenes our American values," said Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the Speaker of the House.
Republicans had argued this is the wrong time to make this change in military policy:
"We should do nothing at this time to threaten the readiness of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who are at the tip of the spear, fighting America's two wars," said Rep. Buck McKeon( R-CA).
More than 13,000 service men and women have been discharged under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" since it went into effect in 1993.
Former Air Force Major Michael Almy was let go after commanders read his personal emails.
"This had a huge disruptive effect upon my unit, upon my squadron. The mission suffered, the morale suffered, the cohesion suffered," Almy claims.
He served four deployments in the Middle East and hopes to return.
" I want to serve with integrity, with honor, wiithout sacrificing my personal values, without having to lie every day about who I am," Almy says.
A recent Pentagon survey found 70-percent of troops think repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" would not cause major problems.
The bill now heads to the Senate, but time is running out to act on it, before the end of the lame-duck session.
Supporters say the bill has enough votes to pass in the Senate, if Senate leaders have time to bring it up for a vote.
Sandra Hughes, CBS News
The House vote was not even close when Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) read the votes.
"The Yea's are 250... the Nay's are 175. The motion is adopted."
Democrats pushed through a last-minute bill that would repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy on gays in the military.
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell doesn't contribute to our national security and it contravenes our American values," said Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the Speaker of the House.
Republicans had argued this is the wrong time to make this change in military policy:
"We should do nothing at this time to threaten the readiness of our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who are at the tip of the spear, fighting America's two wars," said Rep. Buck McKeon( R-CA).
More than 13,000 service men and women have been discharged under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" since it went into effect in 1993.
Former Air Force Major Michael Almy was let go after commanders read his personal emails.
"This had a huge disruptive effect upon my unit, upon my squadron. The mission suffered, the morale suffered, the cohesion suffered," Almy claims.
He served four deployments in the Middle East and hopes to return.
" I want to serve with integrity, with honor, wiithout sacrificing my personal values, without having to lie every day about who I am," Almy says.
A recent Pentagon survey found 70-percent of troops think repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" would not cause major problems.
The bill now heads to the Senate, but time is running out to act on it, before the end of the lame-duck session.
Supporters say the bill has enough votes to pass in the Senate, if Senate leaders have time to bring it up for a vote.
Sandra Hughes, CBS News
