House passes bill with DADT repeal provision

Like it says on the label.

The House voted to pass the annual Pentagon Policy Bill which this year contains a provision for the repeal of the ban on openly gay and lesbian servicemen and servicewomen (Don't Ask, Don't Tell). The way it would work is that heads of the armed forces would be forced to remove the policy 60 days after they receive a report that basically states that having teh gayz in the military would not disrupt activities and policies. Whew.

The NYT article I linked also reports that there is still a chance that the bill will be vetoed by Obama based on funding for F-35 fighter. Because it's a major military policy bill, there are also delightful things like billions of dollars for military development etc. as well as $159 billion for overseas military operations, so...

Still, this is exciting!

Waiting for the end of the world

Huffington Post, via Political Wire:

Congressional negotiators and White House officials are moving forward with plans to add the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell to the upcoming defense authorization bill, Democratic sources tell the Huffington Post.

In Congress, members are being whipped to ensure that the votes will be there for passage, should the legislation be placed in the bill. At this juncture, aides say, the prospects look good. Meanwhile, a source close to the White House says the president has instructed the Defense Department that he believes the repeal of DADT should be placed in the authorization bill.

However, disagreements could emerge when it comes to crafting the actual legislative language, over which Defense Secretary Robert Gates will wield his influence. And at this juncture, few of the offices working on the issue said they were willing to take passage as a fait accompli.