Congress goes home after giving Obama two wins

WASHINGTON -- Congress sent President Barack Obama two political victories before heading home for Christmas.

Making good on a campaign pledge, Obama on Wednesday signed into law a repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that banned gays from openly serving in the military after it cleared the Senate earlier.

The Senate also ratified an arms control treaty that Obama and Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev signed in April to reduce nuclear weapons stockpiles and restart on-site inspections.

Before adjourning for the year, Congress also approved a food safety bill and a bill to compensate police, firefighters and others sickened after responding to the World Trade Center collapse in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

New START pact

The Senate voted 71-26 in favor of the new START agreement with Russia, meeting the requirement of a two-thirds majority for ratification.

Proponents said the pact would make the world safer and strengthen U.S. foreign policy.

"This treaty will reduce the stockpiles of the world's two largest nuclear powers, preserve our nation's ability to defend itself, and maintain vigorous monitoring of Russia's nuclear arsenal," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. "The fact that Democrats and Republicans came together to support this common sense measure to keep our nation safe sends the right message to our country and the world."

Opponents argued that the Senate should have waited until next year when newly elected members could weigh in on the debate. They also worried that some provisions would weaken the nation's ability to defend itself.

Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., said, "My vote against new START centered on the missile defense implications of the treaty, the inadequate verification provisions, failure to include tactical nuclear weapons or rail-based launchers, and the fact that this treaty hands over the Senate's advice and consent authority to a Bilateral Consultative Commission, which will enjoy broad and vague power."

Reid voted for the treaty. Ensign opposed it.

'Don't ask, Don't tell'

More than 14,000 service members had been dismissed from the military since Congress adopted the "don't ask, don't tell" policy in 1993, according to the Service­members Legal Defense Network.

In signing the bill on Wednesday, Obama said gays have quietly served with distinction and that lifting the "don't ask, don't tell" policy is the right thing to do, morally.

"It's been lost to prejudices that have waned in our own lifetimes," Obama said. "But at every turn, every crossroads in our past, we know gay Americans fought just as hard, gave just as much to protect this nation and the ideals for which it stands."

The Senate voted 65-31 in favor of lifting the ban. The House had previously approved repeal.

Reid and Ensign voted for repeal.

9/11 First Responders

The House and Senate on Wednesday sent the president a 9/11 First Responder bill aimed at assisting police, firefighters and others sickened from toxins released at Ground Zero.

The bill, which provides $4.3 billion over five years in health care and economic aid, was approved on a voice vote in the Senate and passed the House, 206-60.

The House had initially approved more than $7 billion, and the Senate had considered a $6.2 billion alternative. Democratic proponents agreed to lower the amount to win needed support from Republicans.

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., was pleased that sponsors agreed to lower the costs, sunset key provisions and take steps to prevent fraud.

"Every American recognizes the heroism of the 9/11 first responders, but it is not compassionate to help one group while robbing future generations of opportunity," Coburn said.

Reps. Shelley Berkley and Dina Titus, both Democrats, voted for it. Rep. Dean Heller, a Republican, did not vote.

Food Safety

The House approved the first major overhaul of the nation's food safety laws since 1938, sending the measure to the president for his signature.

On the closing day of the session, the House voted 215-144 in favor of the bill that proponents said is desperately needed given recent national outbreaks of food-borne illnesses.

The bill would require farmers and food processors to come up with strategies to prevent contamination rather than rely on federal monitoring of health outbreaks to trigger voluntary recalls.

Critics of the bill argued that it would simply expand the federal bureaucracy without guaranteeing that food would be safer. Out of frustrations with the lame duck session, some Republicans also voted against the bill, which had cleared the House twice before.

Berkley and Titus voted for it. Heller did not vote.

Contact Stephens Washington Bureau reporter Peter Urban at purban@stephensmedia.com or at 202-783-1760.