Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership and service to our country. Madam Chair, this weekend, on Memorial Day, America will come together to honor all those who have served our Nation in uniform, and those brave Americans have no better friend than the chairman of our Armed Services Committee, Mr. Skelton. Today, by repealing the discriminatory Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, we also honor the service and sacrifice of all who dedicated their lives to protecting the American people. We honor the values of our Nation, and we close the door on fundamental unfairness. In 1993, I spoke on this same House floor, calling on the President 'to act definitively to lift the ban that keeps patriotic Americans from serving in the U.S. Armed Forces because of their sexual orientation.' Instead, despite everyone's good intentions, Don't Ask, Don't Tell was enacted--a policy which has been discriminatory to our brave men and women in uniform. Under Don't Ask, Don't Tell, more than 13,000 men and women in uniform have been discharged from the military. Thousands more have decided not to reenlist. Fighter pilots, infantry officers, Arabic translators, and other specialists have been discharged at a time when our Nation is engaged in two wars. That is why I support repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and that support has come from all over the country. Nearly 8 out of 10 Americans want to end this era of discrimination.”