"Don't ask, don't tell" repeal vote would not have survived House panel
Published: May 28, 2010
Supporters of a "don't ask, don't tell" repeal won a victory on the House floor last night by a comfortable margin, passing a roadmap for overturning the controversial law 234-194 . But if the issue were brought up in debate before the chamber's top military panel a week earlier, it may never have made it to the floor at all.
Of the 26 Democrats who voted against the measure, eight serve on the House Armed Services Committee (including chairman Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo.). None of the five Republicans who voted for it sit on the panel. Thus, a quick calculation shows HASC members' opposition to the measure by a 33-29 vote.
Of course, that legislative calculus is part of the reason why the issue wasn't broached in committee, a point brought up repeatedly by HASC ranking member Rep. Buck McKeon, R-Calif.) during last night's debate.
The repeal still must still survive a Senate filibuster before gay rights advocates will declare victory. No timetable has been set for when that debate will occur.
Here's a look at the Democrats who voted against the repeal language last night, and the Republicans who backed it:
Democrats voting no: Marion Berry (Arkansas); Sanford Bishop Jr. (Georgia); Rick Boucher (Virginia); Bobby Bright (Alabama); Chris Carney (Pennsylvania); Travis Childers (Mississippi); Jerry Costello (Illinois); Mark Critz (Pennsylvania); Lincoln Davis (Tennessee); Joe Donnelly (Indiana); Chet Edwards (Texas); Bob Etheridge (North Carolina); Gene Green (Texas); Daniel Lipinski (Illinois); Jim Marshall (Georgia); Mike McIntyre (North Carolina); Solomon Ortiz (Texas); Collin Peterson (Minnesota); Earl Pomeroy (North Dakota); Nick Rahall (West Virginia); Mike Ross (Arkansas); Heath Shuler (North Carolina); Ike Skelton (Missouri); John Spratt (South Carolina); John Tanner (Tennessee); Gene Taylor (Mississippi)
Republicans voting yes: Judy Biggert (Illinois); Joseph Cao (Louisiana); Charles Djou (Hawaii); Ron Paul (Texas); Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Florida)
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