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Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Passes Final Vote 65 to 31

12/18/10-by Bridgette P. LaVictoire
In the end, it was anti-climatic. In the end, the vote to finally approve the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell happened at just after three in the afternoon. The vote itself came after a few hours of debate on the START treaty, which Senator John McCain threatened to kill if Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid did not give into his demands and drop the repeal votes on DADT’s repeal and the DREAM Act.  The final vote was 65 yea, 31 Nay.

Senator Joe Manchin, it has been revealed, did not vote earlier, and may not have voted this time.

And now that it has passed, it goes on to get President Obama’s signature and to start the whole repeal process.

Earlier today, President Obama said:

Today, the Senate has taken an historic step toward ending a policy that undermines our national security while violating the very ideals that our brave men and women in uniform risk their lives to defend. By ending Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, no longer will our nation be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans forced to leave the military, despite years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay. And no longer will many thousands more be asked to live a lie in order to serve the country they love.

As Commander-in-Chief, I am also absolutely convinced that making this change will only underscore the professionalism of our troops as the best led and best trained fighting force the world has ever known. And I join the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as the overwhelming majority of service members asked by the Pentagon, in knowing that we can responsibly transition to a new policy while ensuring our military strength and readiness.

I want to thank Majority Leader Reid, Senators Lieberman and Collins and the countless others who have worked so hard to get this done. It is time to close this chapter in our history. It is time to recognize that sacrifice, valor and integrity are no more defined by sexual orientation than they are by race or gender, religion or creed. It is time to allow gay and lesbian Americans to serve their country openly. I urge the Senate to send this bill to my desk so that I can sign it into law.

ThinkProgress put together this wonderful highlight reel from the debate earlier today: