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U.S. Sen. Carl Levin will not seek re-election in 2014
WASHINGTON — The senior U.S. Senator who, as chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, shepherded the repeal of the military’s ban on openly gay and lesbian service members, has announced that he will retire at the end of this term in 2014.
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Defense budget bill includes anti-gay ‘conscience’ provision
The final version of major Pentagon budget legislation includes watered-down “conscience” language similar to the anti-gay provision found in the House version of the bill, according to a top House Democrat on defense issues.
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Senate panel approves defense spending bill without anti-gay amendments
The Senate Armed Services Committee this week unanimously passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), with none of the anti-gay amendments that were attached to the House version of the bill.
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Senate blocks debate on defense bill, halting repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’
Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked efforts to authorize repeal of the military’s ban on openly gay service members, voting unanimously against advancing the Defense Authorization Bill — legislation that included the provision. The massive, $726 billion defense policy bill would have overturned the 1993 law, known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” only after a Pentagon […]
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Former NATO commander blames gay soldiers for Srebrenica massacre
A retired U.S. general has told senators that the Dutch policy of allowing gays to serve openly in its military was partly to blame for its failure to prevent the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. In testimony […]
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Lieberman, Senate Democrats introduce bill to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’
Senator Joe Lieberman (I-Connecticut) introduced a bill on Wednesday to repeal the ban on openly gay service members in the military. The current law, dubbed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” calls for service members to be discharged if they disclose that they are homosexual. Lieberman introduced the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, legislation that would lift the […]
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Senate committee postpones hearings on ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’
A planned November hearing by the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee to consider ending a ban on gays serving openly in the U.S. military will be postponed, a spokeswoman indicated Friday. “We do not have a date” for the hearing, said the aide, Tara Andringa. Committee staff have been working on Afghanistan issues ahead of […]