Sens. McCain and Graham Oppose Defense Bill Over Repeal of Gay Ban
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Two strong-on-defense Republican senators say they will oppose a Defense Department budget bill because it includes the repeal of the Pentagon's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which bars openly gay men and lesbians from serving in the armed forces.

Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) also oppose the possible addition of an immigration amendment -- the American DREAM Act -- which would open a path to citizenship for students and young people who serve two years in the U.S. military who are in the country illegally, the Washington Post said Thursday.

"This is an all-time low for me being in the Senate, and that's saying something," Graham said, arguing that Democrats are politicizing the bill. "The one area that has been kept off limits from partisan politics has been the defense of our nation." The legislation, which authorizes spending for the Defense Department and defense-related programs in the Energy Department, usually passes with bipartisan support.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is expected to move procedurally this week to limit debate on the bill, so he can bring it to the floor next week.

On Thursday, Reid fired back at McCain. "Sen. McCain and anyone else who thinks the DREAM Act is not directly related to our national security should talk to the brave young men and women who want to defend our country but are turned away . . . " he said. "Sen. McCain should know better than anyone that patriots who step up to serve our grateful nation should be offered a path to citizenship, and that anyone who volunteers to serve should be welcomed regardless of their sexual orientation. I hope that he will do the right thing and support this bill . . . "

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell," put in place during the Clinton administration, requires service members to keep their sexual orientation private with the promise that they will not be asked by superiors about their preferences. Gay activists, with backing from the Obama administration, have lobbied intensely for its repeal. But opponents, such as McCain, a former POW, argue that allowing avowed homosexuals to serve would harm morale and unit cohesion.

The bill authorizes spending for fiscal 2011, which begins Oct. 1. Hundreds of billion of dollars are at stake.

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