Patrick Murphy Statement on Secretary Gates’ Letter Calling for Delay of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Repeal

By THE OFFICE OF CONGRESSMAN PATRICK MURPHY (D-8)

(Bristol, PA) – Congressman Patrick Murphy (D – 8th District) issued the following statement today in response to a letter from Secretary Gates in which he asked Congress to delay the repeal of the military’s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy:

“It’s either right or it’s wrong to discharge servicemembers from the military because of their sexual orientation. The President called for this wrongful policy to be repealed in his State of the Union last January because it is an injustice to gay Americans and our military, which loses able-bodied American soldiers willing to take a bullet for their country.

Thousands of American soldiers currently serving – and the 13,500 brave servicemembers who have been drummed out of the military simply for being gay – deserve better. A clear majority of Americans agree that the time has come to overturn Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. They too understand that our military deserves more. No more kicking the can down the road. I will continue fighting for a full repeal this year knowing that we are on the right side of history.”

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