Democrat Sam Nunn favored maintaining the absolute ban on gays in the military. Republican Barry Goldwater wanted to repeal the ban, and worked with Barney Frank.
But opposition to a legislative repeal of the ban led to the DADT compromise.
Although there was no real law passed which embraced that compromise. Instead, the ban on gays was passed into law in 1993. That law specified that homosexual acts were incompatible with military service.
However, as part of the “compromise”, Clinton was allowed to “not ask” the question. And since the ban was on gay acts, a gay person could serve now, so long as either they didn’t perform any gay acts, or if they kept it secret.
The republicans did not control the house or senate in 1993, of course, so they could not be held responsible.
But they could have tried to overturn the DADT by legislation after they took over, and they did not.
Some did try. DUncan Hunter to be exact. The jelly fish leadership like Newt would not let it through.