Senate vote to end filibuster of National Defense Authorization Act falls short, blocking DADT repeal & DREAM Act

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force responded to the Senate’s failure to end a filibuster of the National Defense Authorization Act, blocking action on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal and the DREAM Act.

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey said:

Once again, politicians are playing politics with people’s lives. Filibustering the defense authorization bill to block action on ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ repeal and the DREAM Act — two measures that do justice to the fundamental principle of fairness — is a disappointment and disservice to our country. Seventy-eight percent of Americans support ending ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and countless others believe that young people should be provided a path to citizenship in the country they love and have always called home. Today’s Senate vote mocks those ideals. The senators who led and supported the filibuster effort should be ashamed.