After failing to get enough votes to feel confident introducing a measure to reverse “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand secured a promise from the Armed Services Committee to hold official hearings on the policy this fall, according to Jason Bellini at the Daily Beast. She’d hoped to introduce an amendment to the Military Reauthorization Act that would have forced the Department of Defense to cease investigation of gay service members, who are currently banned from serving openly in the military. Though Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was in support, Gillibrand didn’t feel she was able to line up the 60 votes to avoid a Republican filibuster. She and other advocates hope the hearings will persuade more senators to support the change. Sixty-nine percent of Americans think gays should be allowed to serve openly.
In the House, Pennsylvania Representative Patrick Murphy, who is an Iraq war veteran, is pushing a bill to repeal DADT, and supporters told the Beast that he’s close to getting the 218 votes necessary to pass the bill. He, Gillibrand, and others looking to President Obama to keep his promise to repeal DADT are optimistic that these actions in Congress will spur some action in the White House.
Finally, Action on Gay Soldiers [Daily Beast]
