This just in from Servicemembers Legal Defense Network:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), a national, legal services and policy organization dedicated to ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT), released a statement today on President Barack Obama’s most recent transmittal to Congress of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011. The transmittal as sent does not include repeal language of DADT. SLDN has been pushing the President to include repeal in his defense budget proposal as a signal the Administration supports repealing the law this year.
The SLDN release continues:
"It is now becoming painfully clear that the President will not include the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' in his defense budget transmittals to Congress," said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director for Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. "This is his second defense bill without a call for repeal. But there is still an opportunity for the President to engage, and we hope he will seize it soon. We urgently need his help in reconciling the differences between the Pentagon and the Hill on the repeal timeline, and he can also begin asking Members of Congress to vote for repeal this year."
I'm going to steal a page from Clarknt67's excellent DADT diaries (with his permission) and include his series of action links. Clearly, the only way this administration is going to do the right thing for its gay and lesbian servicemembers is if we make the president live up to his promises.
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CALL TO ACTION!
Fate of repeal will be decided right now. The administration and Congress both need to hear from the public that the time is now. Now is the time for LGBT folk and their allies to get off the fence and call for equality for their fellow Americans.
New Call to Action: Howard Dean and Democracy for America have joined the effort to End Don't Ask, Don't Tell in 2010. Sign the petition here. The Courage Campaign's goal was 100,000 signatures by Monday, they are now at 70,000. Let's help them over-achieve.
- Contact the White House: The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network has put out an action item: Not Another Year. They are asking people to call the White House and tell our Commander in Chief to call for repeal in 2010, repeal can't wait until 2011. The moment is now. They say: "Our Congressional allies are not giving up. SLDN isn't giving up. Tell President Obama not to give up either. Call the White House today. (202) 456-1414"
- Contact your Senators: Tell them to support adding repeal to the Senate Defense Spending Budget: these Senators are most key: Bill Nelson, Ben Nelson, Evan Bayh, Jim Webb, Robert Byrd and Scott Brown. But call them all. Show them there's a grassroots movement to vote now. SLDN contact tool here.
- Contact your House Representatives: Tell them to support Representative Patrick Murphy's plan to offer DADT repeal legislation as a floor amendment to the military bill. SLDN contact tool here.
- Contact Nancy Pelosi: Tell her to use her authority as Speaker of the House to bring DADT repeal up for a vote in the House. (202) 225-0100
- Contact Senate Armed Services Committee Chairmain Carl Levin (D-MI) and tell him Military Budget Attachment is the way to go. His office in Washington can be reached at: (202) 224-6221
- Become a citizen co-sponsor of repeal at Senator Udall's site.