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Congresswoman Niki Tsongas Co-Sponsors Legislation to Repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
WASHINGTON, DC - Congresswoman Niki Tsongas (D-MA), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, has become the 137th co-sponsor of The Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1246), a Congressional bill to repeal the �Don�t Ask, Don�t Tell� ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual service members. Tsongas replaced Marty Meehan as the representative of Massachusetts� 5th District when Meehan retired earlier this year. H.R. 1246 was first introduced by Meehan in February 2005.
�Congresswoman Tsongas continues the Fifth District�s proud tradition of support for our men and women in uniform,� said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN). �SLDN looks forward to working alongside Congresswoman Tsongas to continue the fight to repeal �Don�t Ask, Don�t Tell� that was so ably begun by her predecessor, Congressman Meehan. Support for repeal continues to grow, both in Congress and among our military leaders. Now is the time to lift the ban and allow patriotic, gay Americans the opportunity to serve our country.�
�We cannot stand by and allow this unique bigotry to persist,� said Rep. Ellen Tauscher, the lead sponsor of H.R. 1246. �It�s great to see another member of Congress stand up in defense of equality and fairness in the military. I thank Congresswoman Tsongas for her support as I�m sure her constituents do as well.�
Since 1993, more than 12,000 service personnel have been dismissed under �Don�t Ask, Don�t Tell.� According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), nearly 800 of those dismissed had skills deemed �mission-critical� by the Department of Defense. The Pentagon dismisses an average of two service members under the law each day.
Congresswoman Tsongas is a member of the House Armed Service Committee�s Military Personnel Subcommittee, where repeal legislation is currently being considered. With her co-sponsorship, the entire Massachusetts House delegation now supports H.R. 1246.
For more information on �Don�t Ask, Don�t Tell� and the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, visit www.sldn.org.
