Following Wednesday’s decisive vote in the House of Representatives to repeal the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that prevents gay men and lesbians from serving openly in the armed forces, Rep. Wasserman Schultz called upon the Senate to pass repeal legislation and released the following statement:
“If we are ever to uphold our Constitution’s sacred promise of equal protection for all, then we must end ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ with no further delay,” said Rep. Wasserman Schultz.
Wasserman Schultz was pleased the House vote, which passed 250-175, reflected increased support from both Democrats and Republicans. Fifteen Republicans supported repeal Wednesday—while only five Republicans supported the measure when the House passed the Patrick Murphy amendment to the Defense Authorization bill in May. The House vote came quickly after the release of the Pentagon report, which demonstrated that repeal would not negatively impact military readiness or effectiveness. Seventy percent of Service members polled predicted that repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell would not have a negative effect, and both Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen have both called for repeal of the policy.
“The world is watching the Senate,” Wasserman Shultz said. “Senators of both parties should come together, answer history’s call, and end this discriminatory policy once and for all.”
Since the controversial ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy was created in 1993, more than 13,500 able-bodied, patriotic Americans have been jettisoned from the military simply because they are gay or lesbian. It is the only law in the federal workplace that actually forces gays and lesbians to lie about their sexual orientation in order to keep their jobs.
“This policy is dishonorable,” said Rep. Wasserman Schultz. “We cannot ask those willing to die for our country to live a lie.”
Rep. Wasserman Schultz, a Member of the Select Intelligence Oversight Panel, has been a vocal co-sponsor of legislation to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell since she was elected to Congress.
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