APEarlier this month a federal judge in Los Angeles declared the ban an unconstitutional violation of the due process and free speech rights of gays and lesbians. The decision was the third federal court ruling since July to assert that statutory limits on the rights of gays and lesbians were unconstitutional.
Reid agreed to force a vote on the bill this week and limit debate, despite Republican objections. A Nevada Democrat in a tight race of his own this fall, he also pledged to use the defense bill as a vehicle for an immigration proposal that would enable young people to qualify for U.S. citizenship if they joined the military.
Republicans alleged that Reid was using the defense bill to score political points with the Democratic base.
"This is not a serious exercise. It's a show," said Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
Who knew that the majority of Americans are the "Democratic base"?
Think Progress:
...It is important to note that senators representing a relatively small minority of the American population sustained a filibuster of a bill despite the fact that it contained very popular provisions. According to polling,
70 percent of Americans support the DREAM Act and
75 percent of Americans support fully repealing DADT. The 42 senators who filibustered the bill, on the other hand, represent only
36 percent of the American population. Thanks to senate procedure, a small minority can easily obstruct the will of the vast majority of the public.
By Adam Weinstein
When Republicans successfully mustered their entire caucus to
block an up-or-down vote on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" on Tuesday, they were blocking a heck of a lot more. The
National Defense Appropriations Act of 2011 wasn't just about DADT, or the
immigrant-friendly DREAM Act, or even the DOD budget: Its more than 3,500 provisions set out an ambitious (largely progressive) agenda for the most powerful government agency in the world.
As the party of "Hell no!" tries to convince voters that it has an affirmative vision for America, here's a look at just a few of the other rules Republicans didn't want to become the law of the land—from combating contractor corruption and reducing Uncle Sam's foreign footprint, to going green and caring for wounded warriors:
Revamping US Military and Foreign Policy- No permanent military bases in Afghanistan.
- Report on long-term costs of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
- National Military Strategic Plan to Counter Iran.
Anti-Corruption- Standards and certification for private security contractors.
- Inclusion of bribery in disclosure requirements of the Federal awardee performance and integrity information system.
Environmental Progress- Report identifying hybrid or electric propulsion systems and other fuel-saving technologies for incorporation into tactical motor vehicles.
Service Member Welfare- Information sharing relating to investigation of exposure to drinking water contamination at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
- Adoption of military working dogs by family members of deceased or seriously wounded members of the Armed Forces who were handlers of the dogs.
- Recognition of role of female members of the Armed Forces and Department of Defense review of military occupational specialties available to female members.
- Protection of child custody arrangements for parents who are members of the Armed Forces deployed in support of a contingency operation.
- Improvements to Department of Defense domestic violence programs.
- Department of Defense recognition of spouses of members of the Armed Forces.
- Department of Defense recognition of children of members of the Armed Forces.
- Enhancements to the Troops-to-Teachers Program.
- Fiscal year 2011 increase in military basic pay.
- Improving aural protection for members of the Armed Forces.
- Comprehensive policy on neurocognitive assessment by the military health care system.
- Report on feasibility of study on breast cancer among female members of the Armed Forces.
- Pilot program on payment for treatment of members of the Armed Forces and veterans for traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Assessment of post-traumatic stress disorder by military occupation.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder counseling for civilian victims of the Fort Hood shooting and other similar incidents.
Disaster Response- Authority to make excess nonlethal supplies available for domestic emergency assistance.
more
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
