On the recordDecember 18, 2010
I say to the people in the Senate and the American public, to hear my friend, the distinguished Republican leader, talk about our having done things procedurally brings a big yawn to the American people. Everyone knows how we have been stymied, stopped, and stunned by the procedural roadblocks of this Republican minority. So we are where we are today. No. 1, we are nearing the end of this congressional session. There is a continuing resolution that has been prepared by Senator Inouye and Senator Cochran. It has some things I don't like, but it has been done because we have to do this, and we will finish that in the immediate future. I am going to speak just briefly on don't ask, don't tell. But to suggest there haven't been adequate hearings on this is simply nonsensical. Senator Levin has held 2 days of hearings in the last 30 days. There have been hearings held, reports done by the military. My Republican friends have said: Well, this is something we probably should do, but why don't we have a study by the military and see what the Pentagon thinks. They did that. More than 70 percent of people who have served in the Armed Forces believe it doesn't matter at all.





