Republicans Block Repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

The World

Senate Republicans blocked what may have been one of the last real attempts to repeal the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy before Republicans take control of the House next year. But all is not lost for those supporting repeal. Yesterday outgoing speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted: “An army of allies stands ready to pass standalone repeal in House.” Currently, Democrats need only two GOP Senators to reach the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. In January, they will need the support of at least seven Republicans. Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich explains why this is such a crucial moment for Democrats to push through a repeal of the policy.

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