"NO MORE EXCUSES" ON 'DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL' - GUTIERREZ VOTES AGAINST DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION

May 26, 2011

Media Contact: Douglas Rivlin (202) 225-8203

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Washington, DC) – The U.S. Congress' Defense Authorization bill, voted on today, contains new layers of bureaucracy preventing the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy from being finally and permanently repealed.  According to Congressional Quarterly's bill summary, the measure prohibits the Pentagon from implementing a repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that bars gays from serving openly in the military until the chiefs of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines certify that the change would not be harmful to the military and "will not degrade the readiness, effectiveness, cohesion and morale of combat arms units."  The following is a statement by Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL-4), who voted against the bill.

Stick a fork in it already.  We voted to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell last year and now the Republicans are pushing their out-of-date social agenda back into the defense bill where it doesn't belong.  The American people are way ahead of the House Republicans on this and don't appreciate Republicans legislating which of our sons and daughters in the military will be treated with the respect they deserve and which will not.  It's over.  Get the memo Republicans.  No more excuses, no more delays on repealing this turkey of a policy.

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