“By introducing the first bill to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ in the Senate, Senator Lieberman is continuing the momentum to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ this year,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “His introduction of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2010 is a bold, patriotic move that will long be remembered as key to removing the stain of the discriminatory ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law from the U.S. code. Over the last few weeks, military leaders have made it clear that repeal of the failed ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law must happen. As a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and an expert on national security, Senator Lieberman’s leadership in the fight to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is critical to achieving repeal this year.”
Military leaders, including Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen, recognize that DADT is a failed law and support its repeal. Former Vice President and Defense Secretary Dick Cheney also recently came out for repeal by stating, “When the chiefs come forward and say, ‘We think we can do it,’ then it strikes me as it’s time to reconsider the policy, and I think Adm. Mullen said that.” Moreover, former supports of the law, such as General Colin Powell, former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and General John M. Shalikashvili, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have all indicated their support for repealing DADT as well.
