Iraq vet takes over DADT fight in Congress

July 10, 3:24 AMInternational LGBT Issues ExaminerKelvin Lynch

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              Rep. Patrick Murphy (AP Photo)

Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA), an Iraq war veteran, has taken over as chief sponsor of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (MREA), a bill to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".  

"We cannot afford to wait any longer," Murphy told the National Press Club in Washington. "Now is the time to change this, when our military is stretched so thin with wars in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Murphy, who is straight and married with a young daughter, is a former Army lawyer and captain in the 82d Airborne Division.  He says he has always opposed DADT.   During congressional hearings on the issue last summer, Murphy said that discriminating against gay service members has led to the discharge of mission-critical 58 Arabic speakers since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. 

"They could be on the ground right now in Iraq . . . producing vital intelligence that would help us win the war on terror," he said. "When I was in Iraq . . . my men did not care if you were gay or straight; they just wanted to get the mission done and come home alive."

Murphy said he was taking the lead on the bill after its prime sponsor, Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA), resigned last month to become undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The MREA, which was first introduced in 2005, is still in subcommittee and may not come up for a House vote this year. Currently, it has 151 co-sponsors, and Murphy said he planned to meet individually with legislators in the coming weeks to find the needed votes.

Murphy sent out an email to his supporters saying, "I have been speaking out against for many years against "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" -- first as an ROTC cadet, then as a professor at West Point, and later as a candidate and a congressman. To now take the lead on such an important piece of legislation is an honor and a privilege beyond words"

Murphy also announced the launch of a new website called Let Them Serve. The website has a section where visitors can sign a petition written by Murphy to Congress urging the repeal of DADT, take action locally, and learn more about the Military Readiness Enhancement Act.

Kevin Nix of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, said Murphy "is not just speaking from Washington, he's been there on the ground. . . . that's immensely important for getting votes."

Murphy said, "The military would embrace [the MREA] - they would salute and execute the policy given to them by the Congress and the president of the United States. They believe in equality. They care whether they can fire an M4 assault rifle, whether they can lead a formation, whether they can kick down a door in Afghanistan or Baghdad."

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