WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., Thursday called for a vote on ending debate on a repeal of the ban on open military service by gays and lesbians.
The move sets up a vote Saturday on repealing the "don't ask, don't tell" law, The Hil reported.
At least 60 members of the Senate have said they will support repeal of the policy -- including Republicans Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Scott Brown of Massachusetts.
The House voted Wednesday in favor of a measure to repeal the ban.
A Democratic supporter of repeal, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, will not be available for the vote Saturday because he is scheduled to undergo surgery Monday to treat early-stage prostate cancer, The Hill reported Thursday. Wyden will miss Friday's Senate session as well as parts of the Senate schedule next week, the Capitol Hill publication said.
"I scheduled the surgery for the Monday before Christmas anticipating that the Senate would have recessed by that time and that there would be no disruption to my work in Oregon or Washington," Wyden said in a statement.
Wyden was diagnosed with cancer in November.
