WAshington, D.C. – On the heels of the Senate Armed Services Committee vote to repeal "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell", CAP Action commends the House of Representatives for its historic bipartisan vote today to include "Don’t Ask Don’t Tell" repeal language in the Defense Authorization bill. The members who voted to support repeal recognize that as we fight two overseas wars, our military needs every talented man and woman who is willing to serve, regardless of sexual orientation.
The House measure repeals the DADT statute, which prohibits openly gay men and women from serving their country. Importantly, the bill delays implementation of open service until the Pentagon completes its review of how to implement DADT’s repeal. CAP Action provided the draft certification language, which offered the House an opportunity to vote on this pressing issue today while respecting the Pentagon’s review process.
CAP Action is thankful for the strong leadership of Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA), Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who led the efforts in the House to secure this successful vote.
CAP Action Experts on "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" Lawrence Korb and Winnie Stachelberg are available for comment. To speak with them please contact Suzi Emmerling at 202-481-8224 or [email protected].
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