Issue #94

by Art Kelly

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 234-194 to allow open homosexuals to serve in the military services, while the Senate Armed Forces Committee approved 16-12 a similar provision.

The House measure was an amendment by Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-PA) to HR 5136, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011.

All but 26 Democrats voted to completely disregard the strong opposition to the homosexual amendment by the four military service chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.

The 26 Democrats voting NO were:

Marion Berry (AR)
Sanford Bishop (GA)
Rick Boucher (VA)
Bobby Bright (AL)
Christopher Carney (PA)
Travis Childers (MS)
Jerry Costello (IL)
Mark Critz (PA)
Lincoln Davis (TN)
Joe Donnelly (IN)
Chet Edwards (TX)
Bob Etheridge (NC)
Gene Green (TX)
Daniel Lipinski (IL)
Jim Marshall (GA)
Mike McIntyre (NC)
Solomon Ortiz (TX)
Collin Peterson (MN)
Earl Pomeroy (ND)
Nick Rahall (WV)
Mike Ross (AR)
Heath Shuler (NC)
Ike Skelton (MO)
John Spratt (SC)
John Tanner (TN)
Gene Taylor (MS)

Only 5 Republicans voted YES on the homosexuals in the military amendment:

Judy Biggert (IL)
Anh Cao (LA)
Charles Djou (HI)
Ron Paul (TX)
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL)

There were 10 members of the House, including two from U.S. territories, did not vote at all on the amendment:

Dan Boren (D-OK)
Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL)
Artur Davis (D-AL)
Geoff Davis (R-KY)
Sam Graves (R-MO)
Alcee Hastings (D-FL)
Charlie Melancon (D-LA)
Pedro Pierluisi (D-PR)
Paul Ryan (R-WI)
Gregorio Sablan (I-MP)

After the amendment was adopted, HR 5136 was passed 229 to 186 with 17 not voting.

Despite the outcome, Elaine Donnelly, President of the Center for Military Readiness (CMR), thanked Congressman Ike Skelton (D-MO), the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and Congressman Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-CA), the ranking Republican on the committee, for their valiant efforts in fighting against the homosexual amendment.

The full Senate is likely to take up this measure in the next month with passage likely.

Donnelly also praised Senator John McCain for leading the opposition in the Senate. McCain, a Vietnam veteran and prisoner of war, has pledged to organize a filibuster against the legislation to allow open homosexuals to serve in the armed forces.

“We commend Senator McCain and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) for their principled stand…It is wrong to impose a dangerous social-engineering scheme upon the men and women of the U.S. military” during a time of war,” Donnelly said.

CMR’s paper, Problems with Gays in the Military, is online.

In the meantime, President Obama issued an official proclamation naming June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month. The proclamation stated in part that “we must give committed gay couples the same rights and responsibilities afforded to any married couple, and repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. We must protect LGBT families by securing their adoption rights.”