Collins Equates Senate Debate With 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy

Susan Collins made an impassioned plea on behalf of repealing the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in a speech on the Senate floor Tuesday morning. But, said Collins, a Republican from Maine, she would filibuster the defense authorization bill that includes the repeal, dealing the cause a major blow. Collins has been the Democrats' primary target in their effort to persuade a Republican Senator to join them to break a GOP filibuster of the defense-spending bill.

Collins made an eloquent case that the DADT policy is unfair and morally indefensible, that it is a waste of taxpayer resources and that other nations that don't similarly discriminate have seen no adverse consequences. But equally as troubling to Collins as the policy, she said, is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) failure to allow unlimited amendments to the defense bill.

"I find myself on the horns of a dilemma," said Collins. "I was the sole Republican in the committee that voted [to repeal DADT]. I think it's the right thing to do. I think it's only fair."

But, she said, refusing to allow unlimited amendments is an equal affront to decency. "That too is not fair," said Collins of Reid's decision. "I cannot vote to proceed to this bill under a situation that is going to shut down debate.

Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), chairman of the Armed Services Committee, took the Senate floor after Collins to say that he agreed that members should have the opportunity to amend it, but Republicans would filibuster the motion to proceed to the debate - and without proceeding to the debate, there could be no amendments.

Reid spokesman Jim Manley said that he was "not sure how many more assurances that we can provide both privately and publicly to [Collins], but we need to get to the bill first of all."

Collins retreat into an objection to procedure obscures the underlying politics of the unified Republican opposition to repealing DADT. Collins has been under tremendous pressure from her colleagues not to break ranks, while facing pressure from home to vote her conscience. Collins was the lone Republican to support repealing the policy in the Armed Services Committee. Collins, who is choosing her party over her principled opposition to DADT, criticized Democrats for putting politics ahead of policy. "Now is not the time to play politics simply because an election is looming in a few weeks," she said

"Today's vote isn't about arcane Senate procedures. It's about [the] GOP's pattern of obstructing debate on policies important to the American people," said Manley.

On Monday, Lady Gaga held a rally in Maine to pressure Collins, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), organized by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.

Negotiations are ongoing between the two parties. A vote to break the GOP filibuster is scheduled for early Tuesday afternoon.

UPDATE - 12:05 p.m.: Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio, another Republican targeted by Democrats, who is retiring after this term, will also filibuster the motion to proceed to debate, he said in a statement.

Sen. George LeMieux (R-Fla.), a third targeted Republican, was appointed to complete the term of Mel Martinez, who left the Senate for K Street. Democrats held out hope he'd join them, but LeMieux is generally reluctant to be the lone Republican to break ranks. On Tuesday afternoon, he said on the Senate floor that he would filibuster the bill, preventing any amendments from being debates.

LeMieux cited the inability to propose amendments as the reason he was opposing the motion to move forward with debate. "We should have the ability to bring any amendment forward," he said, adding that extraneous amendments should not be allowed.

Voinovich struck a similar note:

I'm disappointed that Majority Leader Reid and Senate Democrats have chosen to turn the Defense authorization bill - crucial legislation for our troops in a time of war - into a messaging bill. Just as I said with my decision to support the small business bill, this is not a time for messaging from either side of the aisle. This is a time for action. If the Democrats are serious about passing this bill in a timely fashion, they wouldn't be attaching amendments that are not relevant to the common defense, in addition to making it impossible for Republicans to offer their own amendments to address concerns they have with the bill as voted out of the Armed Services Committee.

The DREAM Act deals with immigration and shouldn't be on this bill. 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' is a controversial issue that needs to be debated on the Senate floor but I believe it would be logical to wait for the Department of Defense to issue its report on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' At this point there is no reason to rush to judgment for political expediency until we hear from our military leaders as to whether they think it is a good idea to change this policy. I will carefully study this determination when it is completed.

If you look at history, we usually debate the Defense authorization bill for two weeks. If the Democrats are serious about getting this bill passed, Leader Reid should sit down with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and work out the amendment process. Unless that is done, I will not support cloture on the motion to proceed to this bill.

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