Senate May Vote on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Tomorrow
Patricia Murphy
Capitol Hill Bureau Chief
Posted:
07/13/09
According to the The Daily Beast, Sen. Kirstin Gillibrand, the freshman New York Democrat who replaced Hillary Clinton, may introduce an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill tomorrow to put an 18-month moratorium on dismissing gay service members from the military under the Pentagon's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.
If the Senate votes on the amendment, it would be the first time since 1993 that senators will go on record for their support of, or opposition to, the policy.
Although President Obama pledged during the 2008 campaign to immediately repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, the White House has not publicly taken action on the issue, to the frustration of liberal activists.
Gillibrand's office said only that she is working with Sen. Ted Kennedy to garner support to repeal the policy. Last month, she wrote a column for the Daily Kos calling Don't Ask, Don't Tell an "injustice" and vowing to repeal it.
If the Senate votes on the amendment, it would be the first time since 1993 that senators will go on record for their support of, or opposition to, the policy.
Although President Obama pledged during the 2008 campaign to immediately repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, the White House has not publicly taken action on the issue, to the frustration of liberal activists.
Gillibrand's office said only that she is working with Sen. Ted Kennedy to garner support to repeal the policy. Last month, she wrote a column for the Daily Kos calling Don't Ask, Don't Tell an "injustice" and vowing to repeal it.