Until then, Lieberman is working back channels to get floor time and 60 votes to pass the defense authorization bill, although the one-time presidential candidate still has some whipping to do.
Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), who voted against the August procedural motion to consider the defense bill, has not indicated whether his position has switched. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has stayed mum on his position as well.
Sen. Jim Webb, who voted against repealing DADT but in favor of the larger defense bill during the Armed Services Committee markup in May, has not announced how he might vote on a motion to move on the bill, but during a hearing last week on the Pentagon’s review of the DADT policy, the Virginia Democrat appeared closer to favoring a repeal.
A handful of moderate Republicans who want the Senate to first pass an extension of Bush-era tax cuts present another issue. Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), the most vocal Republican to favor repeal, has said she will join Democrats to consider the defense authorization and repeal of DADT only if Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) grants ample floor time to debate the measure and a handful of amendments.
Collins made a similar case in August when she voted with Republicans to block the bill, citing Reid’s limit on debate. Sen. Scott Brown handed advocates the biggest boost when he announced last week that he would vote in favor of repeal. The Massachusetts Republican, who voted to kill the bill in August, cited the Pentagon’s review that found a majority of soldiers supportive of a repeal as a key element in his decision.
Sen. Olympia Snowe, another swing vote, left the door open for action this year. Citing the bipartisan deal between the White House and Congress to temporarily extend the Bush-era tax cuts, which could be considered on the Senate floor next week, the Maine Republican suggested there could be a small window of time to move to the defense bill.
“As soon as we get beyond the tax issues, I think that what’s important now is first and foremost to get done, and then we can look at the rest of the agenda, including the defense bill,” Snowe said.
President Barack Obama has struck a tax deal with GOP leaders, but Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Minority Whip Jon Kyl (Ariz.) maintain there is not enough time on the calendar to consider the defense authorization bill, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty or any other Democratic priorities.
Reid spokeswoman Regan Lachapelle also would not confirm whether the Senate would stay in session past Dec. 17 to consider the defense bill.
“We have many important items that we hope to consider before the end of the year, including the defense authorization,” she said.
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