Patrick Murphy, Steny Hoyer Behind Standalone DADT Repeal Bill
Outgoing Pennsylvania Representative Patrick Murphy has introduced a
standalone bill in the House that would repeal “Don't Ask, Don't Tell.”
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer has said he would bring the bill that
seeks to end the military's prohibition on gay and bisexual troops serving
openly to a vote “soon.”
“I look forward to bringing this bill to the House floor soon, and I hope
the Senate will swiftly take action as well so that the bill can be signed into
law as soon as possible,” Hoyer said in a statement.
“This discriminatory and harmful policy has weakened America's security by depriving us of the work of tens of thousands of gay and lesbian troops who
have served their country honorably,” he added.
defense bill, which included an amendment to repeal the policy, from
moving forward.After the defeat, a bipartisan group of senators – led by Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman – announced plans to back a standalone
bill.
Murphy, a military veteran who served in Iraq, has already played a
prominent role in the fight to repeal the 1993 law. He is the lead
sponsor of the House bill that found its way into the defense bill
approved last spring by the chamber. Voters in his district decided
Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of Servicemembers Legal Defense
Network (SLDN), the largest group lobbying for repeal, said the measure
faces an uncertain future in the Senate, where backers need to find two
additional GOP votes.
“Time remains the enemy and senators need to complete the bill
before leaving for holiday vacation,” he said.
Comments