[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 86 (Wednesday, June 9, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1051-E1052]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2011

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. BOBBY L. RUSH

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 27, 2010

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5136) to 
     authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2011 for military 
     activities of the Department of Defense, to prescribe 
     military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
     other purposes:

  Mr. RUSH. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of the Murphy 
amendment. By adopting this amendment the House, today, takes an 
important step in eliminating discrimination in our nation's armed 
forces.
  Madam Chair, critics of this amendment, and the repeal effort, have 
often stated that allowing open service will ``disrupt unit cohesion'' 
and lead to a breakdown in ``good order and discipline.'' These are the 
same arguments that were used in the 1940s to object to the integration 
of America's armed forces. Since that time, tens of thousands of 
African-Americans, myself included, have proudly served this nation 
that they love. Some have even risen to positions of distinction such 
as Colin Powell, who served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
  Much in that same honorable tradition, Madam Chair, gay and lesbian 
service members have also served our country with distinction. Whether 
on land, sea, or in the air gay and lesbian Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, 
Marines and Coast Guardsmen have served, and continue to serve, 
professionally and admirably.
  Madam Chair, open service is a policy that is embraced by many of our 
key allies. In fact, in our current conflicts, American forces have 
served side by side with British, Canadian and Australian forces. These 
nations all permit open service and have demonstrated--through their 
soldiers' blood, sweat and tears--that they, too, are an effective 
fighting force.
  In fact, Madam Chair, 35 countries, thirty-five, allow for open 
service. That's 35 countries, on all six inhabited continents, that 
have moved past prejudice and bigotry. Now is the time for the United 
States to be the 36th country to join them.
  Of our NATO allies, Turkey and the United States are the only 
countries that have not yet allowed for open service. By passing this 
amendment, Madam Chair, the United States takes the first step in 
rectifying that situation.
  Madam Chair, I will close with a quote from one of our former 
colleagues that I seldom, if ever, agreed with: Republican Senator 
Barry Goldwater.

[[Page E1052]]

  In 1993, Senator Goldwater penned an op-ed for the Washington Post 
and the Los Angeles Times where he stated, ``It's no great secret that 
military studies have proved again and again that there's no valid 
reason for keeping the ban on gays.'' I ask my colleagues to remember 
Senator Goldwater's words and to vote ``yes'' on this amendment.

                          ____________________