John McCain criticized the action, saying: “We are trying to jam major issues through the Senate of the United States. The American people have spoken and you are acting in repudiation of the message of the American people. The majority is using the lame duck session to push an agenda.”

The Senate on Saturday first cleared a crucial hurdle in repealing the controversial 17-year-old ‘don’t ask, don’t tell” ban on gays serving openly in the military, then later in the day, voted to repeal the 17 year old policy that gays could only serve in the military if they did not publically reveal their sexual orientation. The House of Representatives had approved the repeal last week.

The vote marked a historic – and emotional – moment for the gay-rights movement and handed President Barack Obama a surprising political victory in the closing days of the 111th Congress. The legislation had been left for dead as recently as last week after Republicans in the Senate blocked efforts to advance it.

This vote will surely usher in a major cultural shift for a military that has operated under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy since the early years of Bill Clinton’s tenure.’

In a rare Saturday session, the 63-33 – three more than needed to beat back a Republican filibuster. Later, with a vote of 63-31, the law was repealed – capping months of uncertainty about whether Congress or the federal courts, where gay-rights advocates are fighting the ban, would act first to repeal the policy…

The Republican senators voting “yes” with the Democrats to block the cloture, thus ensuring the overturn of the law, were Mark Kirk of Illinois, Scott Brown of Massachusetts, George Voinovich of Ohio, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – and Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, both of Maine.

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who previously stated he opposes repeal, was the only Democrat to miss the vote.

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