In the Public Interest | November 2010

Senate fails to resolve Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell; APA continues advocacy

By a vote of 56 to 43 on September 21, 2010, the Senate failed to end debate on S. 3454, the Defense Authorization bill for federal fiscal year 2011

The bill includes important language to repeal the Department of Defense policy concerning homosexuality (10 U.S.C. § 654), also referred to as the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Similar legislation passed the House in May; the next opportunity to bring the bill back to the Senate floor will be during the congressional lame duck session slated to start on November 15. Despite a recent court decision overturning Don’t ask, don’t tell, the Obama administration successfully appealed the ruling citing the need for congressional action and the results of an upcoming Pentagon study to overturn the policy.

Following-up on an October letter from APA to all Senate members, PI-GRO will continue to urge Senate action on this very important issue. In addition, PI-GRO will be initiating a grassroots advocacy campaign to encourage APA members to urge their Senators to support the repeal of the Don’t ask, don’t tell policy.