RUMOR MILL: Surprise DADT Vote Today?

Several Washington sources including the usually reliable Roll Call are saying that Sen. Harry Reid may actually propose a Senate cloture vote on the Defense Authorization Bill today. Proposing the cloture vote and making it happen are two different things, of course.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has scheduled cloture votes for Wednesday on a host of bills opposed by Republicans, including the DREAM Act immigration bill, a 9/11 firefighters measure and a firefighters unionization bill. With President Barack Obama’s tax cut deal with Republicans running into stiff Democratic resistance and a long-term continuing resolution for government spending still days away, if Republicans filibuster those bills as expected, the chamber will not have any pending business. As a result, Democratic aides said, Reid could opt to return the defense authorization bill to the floor, which includes the repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. It is unclear whether Democrats would have enough votes to break a filibuster on that bill — a number of Republicans support repeal, while some Democrats oppose it.

Roll Call notes that the GOP could easier drag out any debate for days.

UPDATE: Reid just announced that he may bring the DAA up tonight!


UPDATE II: Wonk Room reports that Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AK), who has said that he considers homosexuality a sin, has changed his mind and will support the repeal of DADT. That leaves only one holdout Democrat, West Virginia's Joe Manchin. Pryor's statement:

On many previous occasions, I have said that I would oppose repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell until I had heard from our servicemen and women regarding this policy. I have now carefully reviewed all of the findings, reports, and testimony from our armed forces on this matter and I accept the Pentagon’s recommendations to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. I also accept the Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs’ commitment that this policy can be implemented in a manner that does not harm our military’s readiness, recruitment, or retention.