U.S. House votes to authorize eventual repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy
Good news from our nation's capital tonight: By a vote of 234 to 194, the House of Representatives has voted to move ahead with the repeal of the congressionally-mandated "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which sanctions discrimination against our men and women in uniform based on sexual orientation.
The vote took the form of an amendment offered by Patrick Murphy to a defense appropriations bill (H.R. 5136) and would permit the Department of Defense to abolish its discriminatory practices before the end of this year.
The Pacific Northwest's House delegation was split strictly along party lines. Voting aye for equality were the region's eleven Democratic representatives: Jay Inslee, Rick Larsen, Brian Baird, Adam Smith, Norm Dicks, Jim McDermott, David Wu, Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer, Kurt Schrader, and Walt Minnick.
Voting nay were the region's seven Republicans homophobes from the Graveyard of Progress: Doc Hastings, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Dave Reichert, Greg Walden, Mike Simpson, Denny Rehberg, and Don Young.
Five Republicans from other states did break ranks to join the two hundred and twenty nine Democrats voting aye on the amendment. Unfortunately, twenty six Democrats, most of them Bush Dogs (er, Blue Dogs) joined the rest of the Republicans in voting against equality in the armed services.
Authorization to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" also moved forward in the Senate, with the Armed Services Committee voting 16-12 on a similar amendment. Except for Mark Begich (who voted aye), no Pacific Northwest senators serve on the Armed Services Committee. Susan Collins of Maine voted aye with the Democrats on the amendment; James Webb of Virginia voted nay with the Republicans.
President Obama congratulated both houses of Congress in a statement.
"I have long advocated that we repeal ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’, and I am pleased that both the House of Representatives and the Senate Armed Services Committee took important bipartisan steps toward repeal tonight," the President said.
"Key to successful repeal will be the ongoing Defense Department review, and as such I am grateful that the amendments offered by Representative Patrick Murphy and Senators Joseph Lieberman and Carl Levin that passed today will ensure that the Department of Defense can complete that comprehensive review that will allow our military and their families the opportunity to inform and shape the implementation process."
"Our military is made up of the best and bravest men and women in our nation, and my greatest honor is leading them as Commander-in-Chief. This legislation will help make our Armed Forces even stronger and more inclusive by allowing gay and lesbian soldiers to serve honestly and with integrity," the President concluded.
Suzan DelBene, who is challenging Dave Reichert in Washington's 8th, has already registered her disappointment with her opponent's vote against equality on Twitter, and is likely to issue a longer statement tomorrow.
The vote took the form of an amendment offered by Patrick Murphy to a defense appropriations bill (H.R. 5136) and would permit the Department of Defense to abolish its discriminatory practices before the end of this year.
The Pacific Northwest's House delegation was split strictly along party lines. Voting aye for equality were the region's eleven Democratic representatives: Jay Inslee, Rick Larsen, Brian Baird, Adam Smith, Norm Dicks, Jim McDermott, David Wu, Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer, Kurt Schrader, and Walt Minnick.
Voting nay were the region's seven Republicans homophobes from the Graveyard of Progress: Doc Hastings, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Dave Reichert, Greg Walden, Mike Simpson, Denny Rehberg, and Don Young.
Five Republicans from other states did break ranks to join the two hundred and twenty nine Democrats voting aye on the amendment. Unfortunately, twenty six Democrats, most of them Bush Dogs (er, Blue Dogs) joined the rest of the Republicans in voting against equality in the armed services.
Authorization to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" also moved forward in the Senate, with the Armed Services Committee voting 16-12 on a similar amendment. Except for Mark Begich (who voted aye), no Pacific Northwest senators serve on the Armed Services Committee. Susan Collins of Maine voted aye with the Democrats on the amendment; James Webb of Virginia voted nay with the Republicans.
President Obama congratulated both houses of Congress in a statement.
"I have long advocated that we repeal ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’, and I am pleased that both the House of Representatives and the Senate Armed Services Committee took important bipartisan steps toward repeal tonight," the President said.
"Key to successful repeal will be the ongoing Defense Department review, and as such I am grateful that the amendments offered by Representative Patrick Murphy and Senators Joseph Lieberman and Carl Levin that passed today will ensure that the Department of Defense can complete that comprehensive review that will allow our military and their families the opportunity to inform and shape the implementation process."
"Our military is made up of the best and bravest men and women in our nation, and my greatest honor is leading them as Commander-in-Chief. This legislation will help make our Armed Forces even stronger and more inclusive by allowing gay and lesbian soldiers to serve honestly and with integrity," the President concluded.
Suzan DelBene, who is challenging Dave Reichert in Washington's 8th, has already registered her disappointment with her opponent's vote against equality on Twitter, and is likely to issue a longer statement tomorrow.
# Posted by Andrew : 8:37 PM
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