Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise to state my strong support for the Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2010, which would repeal the ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' policy in our Armed Forces. I am one who believes that the ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' policy has done more harm than good. The policy has forced American citizens to choose between serving their country and being honest about who they are; and, even worse, it has led to the discharge of some 13,000 brave men and women because their sexual orientation was discovered. The criteria for serving in our Armed Forces should be competence, courage, and a willingness to serve; not race, gender, or sexual orientation. The Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2010 would finally repeal ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' and create a policy of nondiscrimination in the military. That is the right thing to do, and I will support this legislation every step of the way. The Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2010 would repeal the 1993 ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' policy; allow people who were removed under ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' to re-enter the military; establish a policy of nondiscrimination in the Armed Forces to prevent discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation; and require a Pentagon working group established by the Department of Defense to issue recommendations on how to implement repeal throughout the military.…”