It now looks like Friday before the compromise amendment seeking repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ( DADT ) policy will reach the floor of the House.
The House Rules Committee released its plan late May 26 for how the House will proceed on the Defense authorization bill this week. That plan cleared for consideration 82 of the 193 amendments submitted to the committee for the defense bill and it calls for the amendments to be taken in order. The compromise amendment submitted by Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Penn., is identified as Number 79.
There is a provision in the Rules report for an amendment to be taken out of order. For that to happen, Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., would have to make the request to the presiding chairman 30 minutes advance notice. Skelton is an opponent of the repeal measure.
The House schedule on Wednesday night shows the House will convene at 10 a.m. and begin consideration of the defense-authorization bill. But according to one senior House aide, the House will first vote on whether to concur with Senate action on a jobs bill.
With amendments going in order, Murphy's Amendment is not likely to come up until sometime Friday, May 28.
In other breaking news, conservative Democratic Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia has apparently issued a statement saying he will vote for the Murphy Amendment on DADT. In a press release on plain paper, Byrd is quoted as saying he worked with the amendment's supporters "to include a provision in the proposed compromise amendment that would delay the repeal…for 60 days after receipt" of the Pentagon study group report, which is due December 1.
"With these changes," the press release quotes Byrd, "I will support the amendment…."
The language of the amendment printed by the House Rules committee calls for "a 60-day period after certification before the repeal took effect."
Byrd was one of six senators that supporters of the repeal identified as critical to passage of repeal. Another, Ben Nelson, D-Neb., also said May 26 he would support the repeal amendment. A third, Republican Scott Brown of Massachusetts, said he would vote no; however, the statewide gay political group MassEquality has stepped up its efforts to persuade Brown to change his mind, asking state residents to contact Brown again and urge his reconsideration. Virginia Democrat Jim Webb has also indicated he will vote against the amendment and Bill Nelson of Florida will support it. There is no word yet on Evan Bayh, D-Ind., concerning the compromise amendment.
©2010 Keen News Service
