The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network has issued an Action Alert calling for people to contact their senators and urge them to support the amendment that would begin the process of repealing “don’t ask don’t tell.”
The 2011 defense spending bill that includes the amendment is expected to come to the floor of the Senate this summer, possibly as early as the next few weeks. Republicans are reportedly scouring for the 41 votes needed for a filibuster. There are 41 Republicans in the Senate, but two moderates are expected to support the DADT repeal plan. Which has left opponents trying to recruit a few Democrats to support a filibuster. They may also try to craft an amendment to the amendment that would significantly weaken the DADT repeal compromise.
Anyhow, for those of us in Texas, the SLDN Action Alert may seem like nothing but a call to conduct an exercise in futility. That’s because it’s highly, highly unlikely that either of our two senators, Republicans John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison, would support anything approaching a DADT repeal — or even choose not to join a filibuster of the amendment.
I’ve left messages for the press secretaries of both Cornyn and Hutchison, inquiring about the senators’ official positions on a DADT repeal, which has never before been voted on by the Senate. I’ll post their responses if and when they provide them.
In the meantime, if you really believe that it can’t hurt to try, the number for Cornyn’s Washington office is 202-224-2934, and the number for Hutchison’s 202-224-5922.
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I just called both of their offices. At Corny’s office I got a message and left a message. At Hutchison’s office I spoke to a human (I think) and left a message. They both request your zip code.