By Tara Cavanaugh
In a statement released this afternoon, Republican Senator Scott Brown said he supports the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," which prohibits openly gay soldiers from serving in the military.
"I pledged to keep an open mind about the present policy on Don't Ask Don't Tell. Having reviewed the Pentagon report, having spoken to active and retired military service members, and having discussed the matter privately with Defense Secretary Gates and others, I accept the findings of the report and support repeal based on the Secretary's recommendations that repeal will be implemented only when the battle effectiveness of the forces is assured and proper preparations have been completed," Brown wrote.
But whether he will act on his support remains to be seen.
Brown is still aligned with Senate Republicans, who said that they would not pass any legislation until they can come to an agreement with Democrats on extending Bush-era tax cuts.
Greg Sargent, writing for the Washington Post, said, "What needs to be established is whether Brown's vote for repealing DADT is contingent on Harry Reid jumping through a whole bunch of procedural hoops that some GOPers have demanded."
