Pound the Senate (LINK) with calls faxes and emails now. No to DREAM Act
On the Senate floor just now (Thursday PM), Majority Leader Harry Reid announced
the Senate will begin to vote as soon as Saturday on a bill to repeal
Don't Ask, Don't Tell. That puts it ahead of the START treaty, as
proponents of repeal had requested.
"We've got to move this all along," Reid said from the floor.
Reid will also file for cloture on the DREAM Act. That means both
bills should come up for a procedural vote on Saturday. The vote on the
DREAM Act will come first, followed by the vote on DADT.
Democrats expect the cloture vote on the DREAM Act to fail. Next will
come a cloture vote on DADT. "If DREAM gets 60 to end debate then we
would have final passage Sunday," a Reid aide told TPM. "If DREAM
fails, but DADT gets 60 then it's the same case -- final vote Sunday."
Though progressives will see the votes on DADT and DREAM as key
victories, Reid's other announcement will likely be seen as a victory
for the Republicans. Reid announced that despite the bipartisan process
behind the omnibus spending bill, he could not get any Republican votes
for the massive omnibus spending bill. So he's scrapping it in favor of
a short-term spending package that will keep the government up and
running through early next year.
So for those paying close attention, here's the schedule of votes
moving forward: DREAM, DADT repeal, short-term spending bill and,
finally START treaty.
