Post by bot on Dec 21, 2010 18:03:19 GMT -5
Hoyer: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Repeal
A Victory for 111th Congress
WASHINGTON, DC – Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer spoke with reporters today at his weekly Pen and Pad briefing regarding legislation allowing the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” which is being signed into law tomorrow. Below are his comments:
“I want to talk about accomplishments of this Congress, but I want to talk specifically about ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell’, which was, I think, a very, very significant victory for the country and for the civil rights of individuals across the country, where we reaffirmed our willingness to look at people based upon what they contribute and their character and the fact that they play by the rules.
“And, as Barry Goldwater so famously and repeatedly is quoted as saying, we need to focus of whether you can shoot straight, not on whether you are straight, which simply means, obviously, that we need to focus on your capability to accomplish the mission that is given to you in the Armed Forces.
“The bill was written at this table [in my Capitol office conference room]. I am very proud of that. We worked with Senator Lieberman and Senator Collins.* We worked with the Defense Department…here. This was in May.
“When it was clear that there was concern about how you implement the policy that Mr. Murphy introduced here and which we passed in late May, my staff and I talked about how we could get something that might be able to pass the Senate. And one of the things that was necessary was to make sure we had a process that the military could feel comfortable with. We had Secretary Gates’ office in here, as well. And we suggested language that, in fact, then passed the House and was in the Senate, is in the House bill, and it was slightly modified by Senator Lieberman and Senator Collins when they put the bill in.
“I talked to them shortly after they did that…and we agreed that we would send a bill over there. I suggested that we send a bill over there so they could take it up as a message from the House. And it was then passed. The House bill was passed and introduced by Representative Murphy and myself.
“But I am very proud of the yearlong effort that we have made, with a lot of others, in trying to make sure that this bill got a vote. And we were confident that, if it got a vote straight up, that it would, in fact, get the requisite two thirds. And it, in fact, got more than the two thirds, 65 at the end, of course, for passage.
“So that was, I think, a big victory for this Congress and a victory for equal treatment in this country.”
*Staff from the offices of Senator Lieberman, Speaker Pelosi, and Congressman Murphy, the Department of Defense and the White House joined Majority Leader Hoyer’s staff in May to finalize the language of the legislation to allow repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Senator Collins’ staff was not present.
Visit www.majorityleader.gov/ for more press, floor and member resources.
A Victory for 111th Congress
WASHINGTON, DC – Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer spoke with reporters today at his weekly Pen and Pad briefing regarding legislation allowing the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” which is being signed into law tomorrow. Below are his comments:
“I want to talk about accomplishments of this Congress, but I want to talk specifically about ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell’, which was, I think, a very, very significant victory for the country and for the civil rights of individuals across the country, where we reaffirmed our willingness to look at people based upon what they contribute and their character and the fact that they play by the rules.
“And, as Barry Goldwater so famously and repeatedly is quoted as saying, we need to focus of whether you can shoot straight, not on whether you are straight, which simply means, obviously, that we need to focus on your capability to accomplish the mission that is given to you in the Armed Forces.
“The bill was written at this table [in my Capitol office conference room]. I am very proud of that. We worked with Senator Lieberman and Senator Collins.* We worked with the Defense Department…here. This was in May.
“When it was clear that there was concern about how you implement the policy that Mr. Murphy introduced here and which we passed in late May, my staff and I talked about how we could get something that might be able to pass the Senate. And one of the things that was necessary was to make sure we had a process that the military could feel comfortable with. We had Secretary Gates’ office in here, as well. And we suggested language that, in fact, then passed the House and was in the Senate, is in the House bill, and it was slightly modified by Senator Lieberman and Senator Collins when they put the bill in.
“I talked to them shortly after they did that…and we agreed that we would send a bill over there. I suggested that we send a bill over there so they could take it up as a message from the House. And it was then passed. The House bill was passed and introduced by Representative Murphy and myself.
“But I am very proud of the yearlong effort that we have made, with a lot of others, in trying to make sure that this bill got a vote. And we were confident that, if it got a vote straight up, that it would, in fact, get the requisite two thirds. And it, in fact, got more than the two thirds, 65 at the end, of course, for passage.
“So that was, I think, a big victory for this Congress and a victory for equal treatment in this country.”
*Staff from the offices of Senator Lieberman, Speaker Pelosi, and Congressman Murphy, the Department of Defense and the White House joined Majority Leader Hoyer’s staff in May to finalize the language of the legislation to allow repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Senator Collins’ staff was not present.
Visit www.majorityleader.gov/ for more press, floor and member resources.