Senate Republicans block an effort to repeal the law banning gays from serving openly in the military. The partisan vote was a defeat for gay rights groups who saw the provision as a chance to overturn the law known as 'don't ask, don't tell.'

Enlarge By Alex Wong, Getty Images Marine Corps Gen. James Amos testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday in Washington. WASHINGTON  Gay-rights activists are vowing to redouble their efforts after falling short Tuesday in a Senate vote that could have set the stage for a repeal of the ban on gays serving openly in the military. Republican opponents led by Arizona Sen. John McCain used the Senate filibuster rules to block debate on a defense bill that included a provision allowing for the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," a 17-year-old policy that permits gays and lesbians to serve in the military if they keep their sexual orientation secret. The Senate fell four votes short of the 60 needed to bring the bill to the floor. Arkansas Democrats Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln joined 40 Republicans in opposing the procedural move. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., switched his vote to "no" to reserve the right to revive the bill at another time. POLITICS BLOG: Latest from Senate debate on gays in the military The repeal provision would authorize President Obama to lift the ban on gays serving openly in the military if studies now underway at the Pentagon indicate that a change would not harm military discipline or morale. The House of Representatives voted in May to allow repeal of the ban. Supporters of the repeal say they'll try again in a lame-duck session of Congress after the Nov. 2 elections. "We are, in fact, quite bullish that it can get done in the lame duck. It has to get done," said Fred Sainz of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay-rights organization. "There's a lot at stake here that we will make sure that the president and Democrats in the Senate understand." Some Republicans who voted against beginning debate on the defense measure went out of their way to say they want the current policy on gays in the military to be reviewed. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, noted that 13,000 servicemembers have been dismissed because of their sexual orientation since President Clinton put the "don't ask, don't tell" policy in place in 1993. "We should be expressing our gratitude to those individuals, not trying to exclude them from serving," she said. Collins and her home-state colleague, Sen. Olympia Snowe, who also favors review of the military policy, stuck with their party in opposing debate on the underlying defense measure. McCain described Reid's effort to trigger a vote on the policy as "a cynical act" to make gay and lesbian voters, a key Democratic constituency, happy ahead of critical midterm elections. McCain, a Navy veteran and former Vietnam prisoner of war, answered "sure" when asked whether he had known gays in the military. He said he's waiting for more studies before he decides whether he will support lifting the ban. "I'm not supporting it, and I'm not opposing it," he said. McCain and fellow Republicans accused Democrats of holding the defense bill, a massive blueprint for Pentagon spending over the next fiscal year, hostage to politics. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., responded that it is Republicans who are "abusing" Senate rules to "prevent debate" on important issues. "It's a sad day," Levin said. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the president is not giving up his efforts. "We'll keep trying," he said. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more