Weigel

DREAM Act Dies, DADT Repeal Imminent

Cloture on the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act failed on a 55-41 vote, spelling the end for legislation that would have allowed non-U.S. citizens to achieve citizenship if they attended college or served in the military. Only 53 Democrats, of 58, voted for the bill. The hold-outs included Jon Tester and Joe Machin, who are up for re-election in 2012, Mark Pryor, whose colleague Blanche Lincoln lost re-election in a landslide this year, and Kay Hagan, who is trying to shore herself up in North Carolina for 2014. Republican Senators Bob Bennett and Lisa Murkowski voted for the legislation; the fact that the cloture would have succeed if every Democrat had voted “aye” will not be lost on furious activists.

The vote for cloture on DADT is proceeding, and the opposition has all but conceded defeat.

UPDATE: Republicans voting for cloture on DADT so far: Scott Brown, Susan Collins, Mark Kirk, Lisa Murkowski, Olympia Snowe, George Voinovich. This is a done deal.

UPDATE II: Cloture succeeds on DADT, 63-33, which sets us up for certain repeal of the policy after 17 years.