The U.S. Senate voted 65 to 31 Saturday to repeal the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” law, action which will begin the process to end the ban on gays serving openly in the armed forces.
Representative Tammy Baldwin, a Madison Democrat who voted for repeal last week, released a statement. “The Senate vote today finally marks the end of a sad chapter in American history. Since its inception, the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy has been an un-American assault on our most fundamental tenet – that ‘all men are created equal.’ “
“Today’s vote in the Senate was another step in our nation’s long climb toward fairness,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate said in a statement. “Future generations will look back at the opposition of figures like Paul Ryan and Wisconsin’s Republican delegation with wonder that something so fundamental and basic was even a matter for debate. Now that the debate is over, we can celebrate a country that has distinguished itself through the ages by a shared belief in decency and equality.”
President Barack Obama is expected to sign the repeal measure this week.