DADT officially repealed in the House of Representatives

ANightDude · Dec 15, 2010

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/12/15/gays.in.military/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1

Brilliant news! HUGE step forward, and hopefully the Senate can do the same to official repeal it.

Washington (CNN) -- The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to overturn the ban on openly gay and lesbian soldiers serving in the U.S. military, passing legislation repealing the controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
The bill -- a so-called "standalone" measure not tied to any other legislative items -- passed 250 to 175 in a virtual party-line vote. It now advances to the Senate.
The House previously passed a repeal of the ban as part of a larger defense spending authorization bill, but the measure stalled last week in the Senate.
"Now is the time for us to act," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California. "We should honor the service of all who want to contribute" to America's security. "Repealing 'don't ask, don't tell' makes for good public policy."
"Discrimination is wrong," declared Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia. "On the battlefield it does not matter who you love. Only the flag that you serve."
Conservative Republicans argued, among other things, that a repeal would place an unreasonable burden on the military at a time when it is already facing severe strains in Afghanistan and elsewhere.
This is "an imposition of somebody's social agenda," said Rep. Todd Akin, R-Missouri. It's an "eclipse of reason, an eclipse of common sense."
"The United States military is not the YMCA. It's something special," said Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-California. This is "a liberal crusade to create a utopia."
Top Democrats on Capitol Hill are trying to find a way to push through a repeal before the end of the current lame-duck congressional session. A Republican filibuster in the Senate has forced Democrats to find GOP support to get the necessary 60 Senate votes required to proceed. The Democratic Senate caucus has 58 members, meaning they need at least two Republicans to join them to overcome the filibuster.
Several centrist Senate Republicans have expressed support for a repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," but are pushing for more time to debate the initiative. They have also stood by a GOP pledge to block all Senate business until a resolution is reached on extending the Bush tax cuts and authorizing government spending for the rest of the fiscal year.
The more conservative incoming Congress -- which will be seated the first week of January -- is considered far less likely to overturn the Clinton-era ban.
A Pentagon study released earlier this month concluded that allowing openly gay or lesbian troops to serve in the military would have little lasting impact on the U.S. armed forces. Opposition to the change appeared to be much higher in Army and Marine combat units than in the military as a whole.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates has warned that court challenges to "don't ask, don't tell" could force an abrupt repeal of the policy, rather than the process in the legislation that would allow the military to manage the change on a longer timetable.
Last spring, Gates made changes that required any fact-finding inquiries about a possible "don't ask, don't tell" violation in the ranks to be started by an officer with the rank of colonel or Navy commander or higher. He also initiated rules that made it more difficult for a service member to be removed because of a third-party "outing."
The number of military discharges made due to the policy has since dropped sharply.
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Revan · Dec 15, 2010

I'm so happy....PLEASE SENATE PLEASE PASS IT!

RedState · Dec 15, 2010

I know it makes me a bad gay, but this issue is really not a big deal for me (not that I find fault with those that do really care about it) but not a chance in Hell that it will pass The Senate before the 112th takes their seats.

HackmanWIU · Dec 15, 2010

^Would you be really surprised if it did then?

RedState · Dec 15, 2010

HackmanWIU said: ↑

^Would you be really surprised if it did then?
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Without question I would be...the only option the Repubs have is running out the clock actually. There are about 5 I believe that do support the repeal.

RaRa · Dec 15, 2010

At this point I don't even care. -___-

If I read one more DADT article I will march over to D.C. and force every member of congress to watch a continuous marathon of Troll 2 until their eyes bleed.

RedState · Dec 15, 2010

Haha ^^^ This. Except I would make them watch a marathon of "The 700 Club"

No One · Dec 15, 2010

I just think it is absolutely ridiculous. Republicans have continuously said that when military studies showed that the repeal would have little to no affect on unit cohesion, they would support repeal. Yet here we are with a major study saying just that, and they act like they never said that.

I apologize to any republicans here, but SCREW YOU REPUBLICANS!

RedState · Dec 15, 2010

No One said: ↑

I just think it is absolutely ridiculous. Republicans have continuously said that when military studies showed that the repeal would have little to no affect on unit cohesion, they would support repeal. Yet here we are with a major study saying just that, and they act like they never said that.

I apologize to any republicans here, but SCREW YOU REPUBLICANS!
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Ahh..no offense taken. We are used to such comments

Lexington · Dec 16, 2010

>>>Except I would make them watch a marathon of "The 700 Club"

I think a good chunk of them watch that anyway. Maybe make the watch Perez Hilton?

Lex

midwestblues · Dec 16, 2010

RaRa said: ↑

At this point I don't even care. -___-

If I read one more DADT article I will march over to D.C. and force every member of congress to watch a continuous marathon of Troll 2 until their eyes bleed.
Click to expand...

That is seriously nothing to joke about. Just because you don't agree with someone's viewpoints doesn't mean you have the right to subject them to Troll 2.

Emberstone · Dec 16, 2010

midwestblues said: ↑

RaRa said: ↑

At this point I don't even care. -___-

If I read one more DADT article I will march over to D.C. and force every member of congress to watch a continuous marathon of Troll 2 until their eyes bleed.
Click to expand...

That is seriously nothing to joke about. Just because you don't agree with someone's viewpoints doesn't mean you have the right to subject them to Troll 2.
Click to expand...

^^^Sarcasem noted.

DADT officially repealed in the House of Representatives

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DADT officially repealed in the House of Representatives

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