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Statement on Rep. Frank’s Remarks to The Advocate on 2010 Repeal
Yesterday, The Advocate’s Kerry Eleveld spoke to Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) who confirmed DADT repeal “will likely be included as part of next year’s Department of Defense authorization bill in both chambers of Congress.” Eleveld reported that “Frank said he has been in direct communication with the White House, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office, and other Congressional leaders about the strategy for ending the 1993 ban on gays serving openly in the military.”
SLDN Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis responds to this reporting.
“We applaud Rep. Barney Frank's commitment, as well as Rep. Patrick Murphy's leadership, in pushing to take up DADT repeal next year. SLDN has urged the White House to include DADT repeal in the defense authorization budget for FY 2011. That defense bill is the logical place to get repeal done and for the President to follow up with Congress on his very own words, "I will end 'Don't Ask, Don 't Tell.'" We look forward to working with the Senate and House leadership, both Armed Services Committees and the White House to ensure that getting rid of this law becomes a reality next year. The public, including a majority of conservatives, are ready to see this law go. More than 60 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans support repeal of the law or are neutral on the matter, according to a RAND Corp. report released earlier this week.”
