Washington, D.C. - With President Obama slated to sign legislation repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" into law tomorrow, Rep. David Price (D-NC) met with constituent and former University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ROTC Cadet Sara Isaacson to mark the successful repeal of the policy.

"I'm ecstatic and relieved repeal has passed Congress, and I hope for an expedient certification process so that all service members—regardless of their sexual orientation—can serve their country with integrity," Isaacson said.

Rep. Price has been a longtime supporter of repealing the law, taking Isaacson's case to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates after she revealed her sexual orientation to her ROTC commander and was released from her contract. In a letter to Secretary Gates sent in May, Rep. Price wrote, "Denying brave men and women such as Ms. Isaacson the opportunity to serve their country because of their sexual orientation is an affront to their human dignity and a disservice to the Armed Forces as an institution."

Rep. Price will renew his advocacy for Isaacson, asking that the military reinstate her as an ROTC cadet. Isaacson intends to re-enlist once the legislation is implemented following the certification process and 60-day review period mandated by the legislation.

"Sara's case vividly demonstrates why 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' was both unfair and detrimental to our military," Rep. Price said. "I was proud to cosponsor this legislation and cast my vote for repeal, but a lot of credit goes to the passionate advocates like Sara who stood up for what they believe—often at great personal and professional cost—and today have helped achieve an historic victory for the civil rights of Americans. Her case also highlights the need to create a path back to active service for personnel discharged under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' who still desire to serve their country."

The Pentagon's release earlier this month of a report on the impact of repealing the policy on the military helped renew the legislation's momentum. The report concluded based on a survey of military personnel that repeal would have minimal impact on readiness, finding that more than two-thirds of personnel expressed no objection to repealing the policy. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates joined Joints Chiefs Chairman Admiral Michael Mullen in urging Congress to act, arguing that those blocking the legislation risked a much more disruptive outcome to military policymakers by inviting a court ruling overturning the policy. Recent polling data indicate that nearly 70% of the American public supported repealing the discriminatory policy.

To overcome Senate objections to the inclusion of repeal language in the defense authorization bill passed by the House earlier this year, the House approved stand-alone repeal legislation last week. Rep. Price voted in favor of both the Defense Authorization bill and stand-alone legislation and was an original cosponsor of legislation to repeal the policy.

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