Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I will stay within the time given me. We have all had to reduce our time on this side. We have many Members who wish to speak. Let me cover a couple of points and respond to statements made by the chairman of the Armed Services Committee. I was around in 1993. Actually, it was the last year I was serving in the House, and I was on the House Armed Services Committee. I remember very well when the gay lobby started becoming active during that time during the Clinton administration. They said: We want to change the policy. That is why they went through this policy called don't ask, don't tell, which allows people to serve regardless of what their conditions are, their preferences are, but they do not talk about it. They do not use the military as a forum to advance their liberal agenda. It seemed to work. In the law--and it is still the law today--section 571 reads--this was passed in 1993, 17 years ago: The presence in the armed forces of persons who demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability. I was one who applauded Secretary Gates--this is back on February 10--when he said we are not going to be doing anything to change it until we study it and, most important--and this is the whole issue, I believe--we hear from those in the field, we hear from the troops in the field.…”