Sens. Webb, Warner ready to repeal 'don't ask, don't tell'

From staff and wire reports

WASHINGTON

The Senate is headed toward a landmark vote today on legislation that would let gays serve openly in the military, testing waning opposition among Republicans and putting Democrats within striking distance of overturning the "don't ask, don't tell" law.

Passage would be a historic victory for President Barack Obama, who made repeal of the 17-year-old law a campaign promise in 2008.

It also would be a political win for congressional Democrats who have struggled repeatedly in the final hours of the lame-duck session to overcome Republican objections.

Virginia's senators, both Democrats, appear ready to vote to repeal the law.

Sen. Mark Warner has signed on as a co-sponsor of the repeal measure, introduced by Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn.

"Senator Warner believes this is the right thing to do," Warner spokesman Kevin Hall said by e-mail Friday. "The military leadership has testified the repeal of this policy will not harm troop readiness or unit cohesion, and the House endorsed this stand-alone repeal by an overwhelmingly lopsided margin before sending it to the Senate."

Sen. Jim Webb said in an interview Friday with WTOP, a Washington radio station, that he would support repeal provided there is "sensitivity" toward how the change is implemented, particularly with regard to combat units.

"My understanding is that they're going to do this in a very measured way, and if that is the case, then I will vote to go forward with this," he said.

Webb, a decorated Vietnam War veteran and former Navy secretary, had reserved judgment on the issue until the Pentagon completed a study of how such a change would affect military readiness and effectiveness.

The study, released Nov. 30, concluded that there would be little negative impact from gays serving openly.

Lieberman told reporters that the measure was on "the brink of victory."

A procedural vote was expected by noon. If at least 60 senators vote to advance the bill as expected, the legislation could pass as early as late afternoon. Republicans could demand extended debate time, but early indications were that they may not draw out the process further.

Gay rights groups said today's vote is their best shot at changing the law because a new GOP-dominated Congress will take control in January.

Despite signs the bill was close to passage, advocates vowed to leave nothing up to chance and stepped up lobbying efforts in the hours before the vote, including a silent protest in the visitor seats overlooking the Senate floor.

"We simply cannot let the clock run out and lose this historic opportunity," said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, whose supporters vowed to sit in the Senate gallery until the law was repealed.

A small but vocal group of Republicans led by Sen. John McCain said the law shouldn't be changed during wartime.

Repeal would mean that gays could acknowledge their sexual orientation without fear of being kicked out of the military.

More than 13,500 service members have been dismissed under the 1993 law.

Under the bill, the president and his top military advisers - the defense secretary and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff - are required to certify to Congress that lifting the ban won't hurt troops' ability to fight. After that, 60 days must pass before any changes go into effect.

The House approved the bill earlier this week by a 250-174 vote. Senate passage would send the bill to the president's desk.

The Associated Press and Pilot writer Bill Sizemore contributed to this report.