Tag: gays in the military

While gay soldiers and veterans in Colorado react today with a mix of joy and relief that the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy barring them from serving openly has been repealed, Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family continues to express concerns. The Christian-right group's political-action news outlet, CitizenLink, worries that repeal might impinge on soldiers' freedom of religion and expression and that it could also further erode the shaky standing of the Defense of Marriage Act, which precludes federal recognition of same-sex unions.

Republican California Rep. Duncan Hunter with Colorado Rep. Doug Lamborn as cosponsor has introduced the "Restore Military Readiness Act," which would require the chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines to independently sign off on repeal of the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy prohibiting gay Americans from serving openly in the military. Lamborn told the Colorado Independent he's concerned that implementing the repeal, which was passed in December, could divert resources from winning the war in Afghanistan. Yet Colorado U.S. Senator Mark Udall, who spearheaded the repeal effort, told the Independent that he asked the same military branch chiefs to address these same concerns at the widely publicized hearing on the matter held at the capitol before lawmakers voted in favor of repeal.

Without any sure vote count and with waning prospects for success, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he would likely call for a vote...

Colorado's U.S. Sen. Mark Udall urged members of the Senate to pass-- or at very least to agree to debate-- the nation's Defense Authorization bill, which includes an amendment that would repeal the Don't Ask, Don't Tell rule barring gays from serving openly in the military. Udall, a champion of DADT repeal, is so far not endorsing the so-called Truman option, where Pres. Obama would issue an executive order repealing the controversial policy the way Pres. Harry Truman in 1948 by executive order repealed rules racially segregating the military after a similarly drawn-out legislative battle.

Republicans successfully filibustered the nation's defense authorization bill hours ago, edging close to gridlock history. If scotched this year, the bill will be the first of its kind in 48 years to fail to pass. Republicans objected on procedural and philosophical grounds. They resented Majority Leader Harry Reid's including two controversial amendments with the bill: the immigrant youth "path to citizenship" DREAM Act and the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy repeal that would allow gays in the military to serve openly. Many Republicans also believed the two amendments would make bad law.

The U.S. Senate today is scheduled to make a key procedural vote on the defense authorization bill, legislation that primarily releases resources for the...

In the culmination of Monday's big push among activists and key members of the Senate Armed Service Committee to repeal "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell"--...

That statistic comes to you from Servicemembers United, which opposes “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and seeks its repeal. It’s lower than in previous years:...

Obama-supporter Gen. Merrill "Tony" McPeak, Air Force Chief of Staff, wrote an op-ed in the New York Times Friday saying he believed repealing the...

Sen. Mark Udall said he was moved to introduce legislation repealing the nation's "Don't Ask Don't Tell" military policy banning gay service members from serving openly in part because the policy has wasted hundreds of millions of dollars over the past 17 years and negatively effected the lives of thousands Americans dedicated to their country.