Washington, D.C. – After Republicans prevented the FY2011 Department of Defense Authorization bill from coming up for debate, effectively derailing bipartisan efforts to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand issued the following statement:
“For nearly two decades, we’ve discharged thousands of America’s best, brightest and bravest on immoral and unconstitutional grounds. The military’s ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy undermines the integrity of our military, hurts our national security, and contradicts the moral foundation upon which this country was founded.
“The continuous obstructionism is wrong and must end.
“It has been more than nine years since 9-11 and the Senate still has failed to move forward on legislation to provide health care for the thousands of first responders who served at Ground Zero and survivors living in the area. It is time to seize every opportunity to pass this legislation. This should not be a partisan issue. We have an undeniable moral obligation to pass this legislation and provide care to the thousands of heroes and survivors, who are suffering and dying.
“It is time for us in Congress to do what’s right, restore integrity to our armed forces, put our national security before politics and ideology, and keep our promise to the heroes of this country who came to our rescue on 9-11.”