Senators Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and Mark Udall of Colorado have renewed calls to end “Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” the 1993 law that bans gay and bisexual troops from serving openly, this year.

The three senators are urging Congress to act during the upcoming lame-duck session of Congress.

Lieberman, an independent, sponsored the measure to repeal the law in the Senate Armed Services Committee last spring. After the committee agreed to tuck repeal language inside the annual defense bill, Republicans, led by Arizona Senator John McCain, killed the bill on the Senate floor with a filibuster.

McCain has already pledged to block a second repeal effort.

“The Senate should act immediately to debate and pass a defense authorization bill and repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' during the lame-duck session,” the three senators said in a joint statement. “The Senate has passed a defense bill for 48 consecutive years. We should not fail to meet that responsibility now, especially while our nation is at war. We must also act to put an end to the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy that not only discriminates against but also dishonors the service of gay and lesbian service members.”

Michigan Senator Carl Levin, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is feeling the pressure to act from both sides. McCain is reportedly urging the Democrat to strip the repeal language from the defense bill, a move the Obama administration opposes. “The White House opposes any effort to strip 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' from the National Defense Authorization Act,” Dan Pfeiffer, White House communications director, said in a statement.

Repeal advocates believe the lame-duck session is their last shot at repeal before a Republican takeover of the House, and increasing numbers in the Senate, in January.

Gay GOP group the Log Cabin Republicans have asked the Supreme Court to reinstate a lower court's injunction prohibiting the military from enforcing the policy as a government appeal wends its way through the courts. Justice Anthony Kennedy has asked the federal government to weigh in on the case before Wednesday.