Day 4: Senate minority uses filibuster to kill DADT

“Today’s Senate vote sustaining a filibuster of the annual defense spending bill, and in particular its provisions on the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law, is a profound setback for our nation’s military and our government’s commitment to the principle of majority rule,” said Common Cause President Bob Edgar.

“Some of the best minds in our military – civilian and uniformed — devoted thousands of hours of study to the question of service by openly gay Americans. They produced a thoughtful report and recommendations on a complex subject, but the Senate, held hostage yet again by a minority, refuses to even bring the issue to the floor,” Edgar said.

“It’s disgraceful that a minority of senators can abuse the Senate’s rules in this way,” Edgar said. “Whatever their feelings on service by gays, our troops have seen today that a minority of senators aren’t even willing to examine the issue with the care it deserves.”

This month, Common Cause is spotlighting how filibuster abuse is hijacking the Congress and blocking action on vital national problems. Common Cause is hosting a forum on filibuster reform on Wednesday, Dec. 15 at the National Press Club.