Brown says he won't mount filibuster on 'don't ask, don't tell' repeal

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON – Senator Scott Brown, while still opposing repealing the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, said that he would not mount a filibuster to prevent the Senate from voting on whether to permit gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military.

“No, no, no,” the Massachusetts Republican said in a brief interview yesterday, when asked if he would attempt to stop the measure from coming to a vote. “Filibuster’s never -- it’s not my style. I want to make sure that we have a full and fair debate on it.”

Several staunch opponents, including Senator John McCain, have said they would attempt every possible way to block it, including a filibuster. But Brown’s stance makes it less likely that they could garner enough votes to stifle it.

The House of Representatives voted last night to repeal the 1993 policy, a vote that came several hours after the Senate Armed Services Committee took the same course. Brown, as expected, voted against the amendment in committee. He said earlier in the week that he wanted a vote to be put off until the Pentagon completes a study and formulates a plan for implementation.

“My position since the campaign hasn’t changed,” Brown said yesterday, several hours before the committee vote. “I wanted to speak to the generals and troops in the field, and I also wanted to have the assessment be completed because a lot of those families and troops are relying on that assessment, and want to be part of the process. I think it’s premature. I’m going to keep an open mind, but that’s not where I’m at.”

The issue will now go before the full Senate, as part of a larger defense spending bill. Opponents would need 41 votes for a filibuster, which now appears unlikely. Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, supports repealing the policy. Without Brown or Collins, Republican opponents would need to convince at least two Democrats to join them.

Because the repeal is included in a bigger spending bill, opponents would also have to block spending for US troops, which could prove to be politically difficult.

Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.