Lieberman, Murphy Release Statement on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

Statement

This evening, Senator Joe Lieberman (D-CT) and Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-PA) released the following statement on their efforts to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Sen. Lieberman and Rep. Murphy are the lead sponsors of the bill to repeal the policy in their respective chambers.

"We are committed to repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell, a policy that has forced thousands of gay men and women from serving openly in our Armed Forces. It is our firm belief that it is time to repeal this discriminatory policy that not only dishonors those who are willing to give their lives in service to their country but also prevents capable men and women with vital skills from serving in the armed forces at a time when our nation is fighting two wars.

We applaud the President's pledge in the State of the Union to work with Congress and the military to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell' and the Secretary of Defense's subsequent establishment of a working group to make recommendations on how such repeal should be implemented. We further commend the Secretary and the leaders of the working group for their efforts to ensure that our military service members at all levels, as well as their families, have the chance to be heard on this issue.

We will continue to work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle this week to pass legislation that repeals "Don't Ask, Don't Tell' but does so in a way that accommodates the recommendations of the working group and is consistent with the military's standards of readiness, effectiveness, unit cohesion, and recruiting and retention."

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