As a follow up to our recent post on former Secretary of State Colin Powell’s public statements against the policy of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” we bring you good news from the U.S. Congress: Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA, 8th District), the first Iraq War Veteran elected to Congress and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, is sponsoring a bill that would repeal DADT:
“The policy is not working for armed services and it hurts our national security. President Barack Obama has stated that if Congress gets a bill to his desk repealing “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”, he will sign it in to law. It is now our job, and my job specifically, to quarterback this to the Congress of the United States to do just that.”
Rep. Murphy’s July 8th interview on The Rachel Maddow Show notes that there are already 151 co-sponsors of the bill. In their discussion, Rep. Murphy takes the U.S. Congress to task:
“This was an Act of Congress that made Don’t Ask Don’t Tell into law. It will take an act of Congress to fix that mistake of 16 years ago and it is our job as a Congress to get a backbone, to have the courage, to get this passed.”
The bill, known as the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1283), is available online. You can contact Rep. Murphy here to show your support.
