Political Quotes

“The success of the United States military depends on the hard work, dedication, and sacrifices of our brave men and women in uniform. And yet, under Don't Ask, Don't Tell, the talents and contributions of our openly gay and lesbian servicemembers are ignored. This is discrimination, plain and simple, and should not stand. What should count is the performance and competence of a member of our armed services, nothing else. More than nine years after the 9/11 attacks, at a time when troops are being withdrawn from Iraq and increased in Afghanistan, our gay and lesbian servicemembers offer invaluable skills that enhance our country's military competence and readiness. According to the Service Members Legal Defense Network, more than 14,000 servicemembers have been discharged under DADT since 1994. This number includes almost 800 mission-critical troops and nearly 60 Arabic linguists in just the last five years. That is indefensible. And to make matters worse, the financial cost of implementing Don't Ask, Don't Tell from Fiscal Year 1994-2008 was more than $555 million. Mr. Speaker, Don't Ask, Don't Tell weakens our national security, diminishes our military readiness, and violates fundamental American principles of fairness, integrity and equality. We must end this pernicious law, and we must end it now.”