Political Quotes

“I am here today to express my strong support for the repeal of the don't ask don't tell policy. The Senate took a significant step toward that repeal earlier today. I want to congratulate and thank Senators Lieberman and Collins for their strong bipartisan leadership on this issue. I was proud to be a cosponsor of this bill, and I hope we will soon send it to the President for his signature. It is not often that the Senate gets the opportunity with a single vote to right a wrong, but we have that opportunity here today. This is a historic vote, one for which this Senate will be remembered for a long time. This is our opportunity to fix an outdated, discriminatory and broken policy and to strengthen America's security. The United States, our military, and our security will be better off because of this legislation. I completely agree with Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who strongly endorsed the repeal and urged the Senate to pass this legislation before the end of the year. Secretary Gates and America's military leadership understand that this discriminatory policy undermines our national security and diminishes our military readiness. A nation at war is a nation that needs the best, most qualified service members we can find regardless of sexual orientation.”