Received this from Senator Merkley’s office:

Thank you for contacting me to share your views about the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1283), which is currently pending in the House of Representatives.  It is an honor to serve as your Senator, and I appreciate hearing from you.

I strongly support equal rights for all Americans and believe that the United States Military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy contradicts this fundamental Constitutional value.  The Military Readiness Enhancement Act would repeal the federal law that bans openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual individuals from serving in the armed forces and prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the military.  I believe that preventing openly gay Americans from serving in the U.S. military not only undermines our principles, it unnecessarily limits the capacity of our armed forces to draw on America’s best and brightest.  I think every American should be able to serve this country regardless of sexual orientation.

As you may know, the Military Readiness Enhancement Act has not been introduced in the Senate.  Please know that I will keep your views in mind should this or related legislation come before the Senate for consideration.

Thank you, again, for sharing your thoughts with me. I hope you will continue to keep me informed about the issues that matter most to you.

All my best,

Jeff Merkley
United States Senate

Tags: DADT, politics