NEWS RELEASE: Servicemembers Legal Defense Network ( SLDN )
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Servicemembers Legal Defense Network ( SLDN ) , a national, legal services and policy organization dedicated to ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ( DADT ) , released a statement today following confirmation from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid ( D-NV ) that the Senate intends to bring the National Defense Authorization Act ( NDAA ) to the senate floor next week. The NDAA contains the amendment to allow for the repeal of DADT.
"We applaud the Senate Majority Leader's courage and his statement tonight to bring the defense bill to the floor. Now, we must deliver," said Aubrey Sarvis, Army veteran and executive director for Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. "Repeal proponents may well need 60 votes in the Senate to get to this important debate in September. We are now in the final stretch and we must prevail. Repeal supporters should not stop calling their senators. Sen. John McCain has been a strong and vocal opponent from the start and it is critical that we beat back any filibuster threat, defeat attempts to strike repeal, and defeat any crippling amendments."
Today and last week, SLDN launched multiple action alerts urging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid ( D-NV ) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) to schedule a floor vote on repeal the week of September 20. The alert also targets Sen. John McCain ( R-AZ ) who has been a vocal opponent of repeal. To view the alert visit: http://bit.ly/cJxRG2
FROM SLDN: WHY DADT REPEAL MUST PASS IN SEPTEMBER:
· If the defense budget bill doesn't move in September and slides into the lame duck session, many Republicans have made it clear they will only agree to a Continuing Resolution to keep funding the Defense Dept.
· If a Continuing Resolution is passed, the hard earned House passage of repeal dies. Recall, repeal advocates made it to the House floor vote bypassing the House Armed Services Committee as we didn't have the support of the Democratic Chairman, Ike Skelton.
· If the defense budget bill doesn't move to the Senate floor by the end of September, DADT repeal may not happen for SEVERAL MORE YEARS.
· How will repeal die if there is no vote in September? If Republicans take back the House in November, as many are beginning to predict, SLDN doesn't see Speaker Boehner pushing a vote on DADT next year.
SLDN voiced concerns last week that were reported in Politico and The Advocate: http://bit.ly/aKLU5l
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network ( www.sldn.org ) is a national, non-profit legal services and policy organization dedicated to ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." A journalists' guide is available here.
NEWS RELEASE: Servicemembers United
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Servicemembers United, the nation's largest organization of gay and lesbian troops and veterans, applauded today's announcement by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's office that Senator Reid will finally bring the National Defense Authorization Act ( NDAA ) up for debate during the week of September 20th. The NDAA contains an important provision that would authorize the repeal of the discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law, in addition to authorizations for annual pay and equipment funding for the entire military.
"We are both pleased and relieved that Senator Reid has decided to schedule the defense authorization bill for floor time next week," said Alexander Nicholson, founder and Executive Director of Servicemembers United. "We are fairly confident that we will have the 60 votes to break a filibuster of this bill. It would be shameful for lawmakers to vote to hold up an important and expansive piece of legislation like the defense authorization bill simply because of their opposition to one or two provisions within it."
Servicemembers United has been leveling sustained, heavy pressure on Senator Reid over the delay in allowing the NDAA to move forward, including sharp criticism just this morning in the Capitol Hill newspaper The Hill ( "Reid My Lips: No Forgiveness for No NDAA in September" ) .
A Senate-focused "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" lobby day, nicknamed "The Final Assault," is scheduled for this Thursday, September 16th in Washington, DC. Anyone interested in participating in this effort should register immediately at www.ServicemembersUnited.org .
