Is Rep. Patrick Murphy’s DADT Repeal Bill Just 7 Votes Shy of Approval?
Rep. Patrick Murphy, the Pennsylvania Democrat who’s crafting the House’s bill to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, says he has 187 co-sponsors and “about two dozen other folks” who say they’ll vote for it if it comes up. That puts the bill’s Yes numbers at around 211, and 218 are needed assure passage.
Is there a list of the co-sponsors so we can go after the ones who are refusing to sign on? Lets flush out these hypocritical Dems who ask for our money and then won’t sign onto a civil rights/Employment rights bill like DADT.
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Patrick Murphy rocks. He is the definition of “fierce advocate.” Every time he speaks on this subject, he knocks the cover off the ball.
The constantly-updated list of co-sponsors is at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:HR01283:@@@P
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I may die of shock at not seeing Paul Broun’s name on the list.
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Why can’t Obama just sign an executive order getting rid of it? He has the power to do so. He’s turning this into a party political issue which will ensure that we lose this. Maybe that is Obama’s intention, after all.
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Jason, the President could modify (or probably even suspend) enforcement procedures, but DADT is the law (10 U.S.C. section 654). Congress does have to act in order to get rid of it.
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One other thing worth noting for vote-counting purposes is that the 187 co-sponsors include the delegates from DC, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa. They can’t vote on the House floor, so “co-sponsors plus two dozen” equals about 207 floor votes.
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God Bless Patrick Murphy, Pennsylvania’s straight, handsome, poised, articulate congressman.
I hope his political career is long and successful.