Rep. Eshoo Votes to End "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Policy

Press Release

Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-Palo Alto) voted today to end the ban on openly gay men and women serving in the military, known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT). The House approved an amendment to H.R. 5136, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011, which would abolish the ban as early as December, when the Pentagon completes its review on the impact of the repeal and certifies it will not adversely affect troop readiness. Rep. Eshoo released the following statement after the vote:

"For the past 17 years, the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy has been costly to our military, discriminatory to our troops, and contrary to the principles of our nation. I've opposed the law since its inception in 1993 and today's vote to repeal it is a step forward for our military and for civil rights in our country.

"To maintain necessary recruitment levels for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army and Marine Corps have been forced to reduce standards of eligibility. This includes issuing "moral waivers' to people with felony convictions. Meanwhile, our military has been forced to discharge nearly 14,000 U.S. troops on the basis of sexual orientation, including hundreds of Arabic and Farsi interpreters. These are critical positions requiring specialized skills and we are turning qualified people away. This is absurd under the best of circumstances, but to do so in a time of severe recruitment shortages defies reason.

"In Iraq and Afghanistan, our men and women in uniform work side-by-side with openly gay soldiers from the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia without incident. Thirteen coalition partners in Operation Enduring Freedom allow lesbians, gays and bisexuals to serve openly, as do eleven coalition members fighting in Operation Iraqi Freedom. They work with officers and agents from the CIA, NSA, and FBI-all of whom can be openly gay and are protected from discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation.

"I opposed DADT when it was enacted and I'm glad to finally dispose of it with today's amendment. We have the most modern military on earth, with the exception of this harmful, discriminatory, and unnecessary policy. Today's vote will bring our military up to date and the law in-line with the principles of our country."

The amendment passed by a vote of 234-194.

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