Washington D.C., May 29, 2010 / 05:22 am
Critics of the proposal to eliminate the U.S. military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy for homosexuals who serve in the military have warned the proposed change would advance a “radical” social agenda and would affect military readiness and the well-being of those in military service.
On Thursday the Senate Armed Services Committee and the full U.S. House approved measures to change the 1993 law allowing homosexuals to serve only if they do not reveal their sexual orientation.
The measures came in an amendment to a more than $700 billion defense spending bill, the Associated Press reports. The amendment and defense bill passed the House in formal vote on Friday by a margin of 229 to 186, with 26 Democrats voting against it and nine Republicans in favor. On Thursday evening a measure allowing the policy change passed the Armed Services Committee by 16-12, with Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) favoring it and former Marine Sen. Jim Webb (D-Virginia) opposing it.
Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.), who opposes the proposal, claimed it jeopardized the entire spending bill.