Despite efforts made by Senate Democrats to strike a deal with Republicans to open the floor to debate the bill that would repeal “Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” the controversial military policy has once again stalled in the Senate, with just a week left in this session. Score for the Dems, though! They got one more vote than they did in September, bringing the vote to 57-40. Sixty votes are needed.

Holding up the debate, at this point, is Republicans' insistence that the expiring tax cuts be handled first, though some of them claim to stand for the repeal. A Pentagon report says the repeal will have no adverse effects, and surveys have shown that most military personnel have no objection to LGBT soldiers serving beside them.

Whether or not the bill will be revisited is unknown, but Senator Lieberman (I-Conn) is pushing to extend this lame-duck session till after Christmas to ensure the bill at least reaches the floor. If it doesn't make it, there won't be another opportunity to repeal “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” again until Congress is back in session in 2011. And Servicemembers Legal Defense Network says: “We call upon the Senate and the President to remain in session and in Washington until the National Defense Authorization Act is passed – which includes the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask.’ The Senate is scheduled to break for holiday vacation; we can’t let them leave. We must show our rage for repeal and insist the Senate stay in Washington until they have finished the job. We implore all who support repeal to join us outside the Senate this Friday. As Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said, ‘If not now, when?’”

The SLDN is holding a rally at noon today.

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