WASHINGTON, DC—U.S. Senator Bob Casey released the following statement after the Senate voted to end the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy and send it to the president to sign into law:
“With our Armed Forces engaged in two wars, our national security depends on a strong and talented military. Moreover, any qualified American willing to risk his or her life for their country should be permitted to serve free of discriminatory treatment and should not have to lie in order to serve their country.”
“After carefully reviewing the impact of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell on our military, speaking with members of the Armed Forces, considering the Pentagon study and weighing the recommendations of Secretary of Defense Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mullen, it is clear that the time has come to end this policy.”
Senator Casey was a cosponsor of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act introduced earlier this year that called for the conditional repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell dependent on the outcome of the Pentagon review of the policy that was introduced earlier this month.
After President Obama signs the measure, the bill requires the Secretary of Defense to certify that policies are in place to carry out the repeal “consistent with military standards for readiness, effectiveness, unit cohesion, and recruiting and retention.”
###
