WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) today offered the following statement after House passage of a stand-alone measure to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy. 

“For too long we have forced soldiers to defend our liberty and freedom without offering them the very acceptance and protection under the law that they fight to uphold,” said DeGette, “and I am proud to have joined my colleagues today in voting to immediately end this discriminatory policy.  With last week’s publication of a Pentagon review demonstrating that a majority of our troops believe repealing the policy would have no effect on their unit’s battle readiness, the last vestiges of reasoned opposition to repeal have been rendered obsolete.  Today’s vote comes too late for the thousands of servicemen and women who have already been forced out of service to their country because of their sexuality, but it at least offers those patriots the solace that their sacrifice helped pave the way for future soldiers to achieve equality.  I urge the Senate to act swiftly to pass this legislation."      

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