Senate Clears Critical Hurdle In Effort To Repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Policy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: (202) 675-2312; media@dcaclu.org

WASHINGTON – The Senate today voted to invoke cloture on legislation repealing the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. The Senate is expected to vote very soon on final passage of the legislation, the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Repeal Act of 2010 (H.R. 2965). The House passed the bill on Wednesday and, if the bill passes the Senate, it will head to the president for his signature. The American Civil Liberties Union commended the vote and urged a swift vote on final passage by the Senate.

The following can be attributed to Laura W. Murphy, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office:

“This latest vote brings us one significant step closer to the end of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ A policy that discharges qualified service members based simply on their sexual orientation is flatly discriminatory and wholly un-American. The Senate is on the precipice of history today and we encourage it to do the right thing and finally repeal this unconstitutional policy.”