With votes on the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” looming in both the House and Senate, HRC field staff recently met with the Mayor of Portland, Nick Mavadones, at town hall. We updated the Mayor on the status of repeal and watched as he signed a personal letter to both Senators Collins and Snowe on the topic. In his letters, he urges both Senators to “exercise their leadership and repeal this outdated policy.” You can read the full text of the Mayor’s letters here.
After the unsuccessful vote on the Department of Defense Authorization Act in the Senate last week, Senator Susan Collins of Maine, announced that she is cosponsoring a new stand alone bill. The bill may be our last chance to see “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repealed this year. We are grateful to Senator Collins for her stand on this bill, but we do not yet have a commitment from Senator Olympia Snowe. We have been holding phone banks every night and canvassing Mainers in public areas everyday, asking them to call Senator Snowe and urge her to cosponsor the new bill to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” NOW!
As we continue to watch this develop in the Senate, we must keep pushing with all that we have. If you live in Maine, please call Senator Snowe NOW and ask her to cosponsor S.4023, the new stand alone bill to repeal DADT.
Senator Olympia Snowe:
DC: 202-224-5344
Portland: 207-874-0883
If the line is busy, keep trying. If you have called already, call again. The vote could take place at any moment!
When you are through, you can also send a “thank you” message to Senator Susan Collins and others in the Senate who have championed this cause.
