Repeal of discriminatory DADT strikes a blow for enhanced military readiness and equality

The U.S. House took a major step toward equality and enhanced military readiness on Wednesday when they voted to repel the discriminatory and unconstitutional “Don’t ask, don’t tell” (DADT) policy.

The House approved the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010” by a vote of 250-175 that allows gays to serve openly in the military.

This is the second time the House voted to kill the ban. The measure was contained in the 2011 defense authorization bill that the House passed earlier this year. However, the Senate version of the defense authorization bill failed twice before the decision to go with a stand alone bill was reached.

The fate of repeal now lies in the Senate, where Sens. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, introduced S.4023, a standalone bill to repeal the ban.

U.S. Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, was one of the co-sponsors of HR 6520,as were U.S. Reps. Sander Levin, D-Southfield, and Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township. Dingell spoke in favor of the bill on the House floor.

“Just as today’s Americans shake their heads at the thought of a segregated military – and indeed society - I suspect that generations to come will do the same at the shift we made in 1994 from the outright to tacit discrimination of homosexuals in the military,” Dingell said. “Madam Speaker, our nation is engaged in conflicts in multiple theatres and we are in desperate need of troops, as well as foreign language translators, and yet because of DADT, there is a segment of the population who want to serve openly and who, for all intents and purposes, face a sign saying they “need not apply.”

Michigan Democrats celebrate John Dingell and huge election victory

DETRIOT -- Michigan Democrats celebrated their decisive victory last November on Saturday in Cobo Hall at the state convention, and they also took the time to honor the longest serving U.S. Congressman in U.S. history.

On Feb. 11, U.S. Rep. John Dingell, Jr., D-Dearborn, became the longest serving Congressman in history. He was first elected on Dec. 13, 1955; succeeding his father, a New Deal Democrat elected to Congress in 1932.

The entire Michigan Congressional delegation was on the stage to at Cobo Hall to honor Dingell.

“With John Dingell, it’s not just the length of his service, it’s the quality of service year after year,” said U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Detroit. “We Michigan Dems are very proud to call John Dingell one of our own.”

Dingell has served with 11 Presidents, and that comes out to a quarter of all Presidents in U.S. history.

“No one will ever break that record, because as each day goes by he breaks the record everyday he serves; he is the record,” said U.S. Rep. Dale Kildee, D-Flint. “America is a better place because of John Dingell.”

Dingell is one of the most productive and influential members to ever serve in the U.S. House, and he is extremely passionate about health care. He helped pass the Medicaid Act in 1965, and he is a strong advocate for universal health care.

“We have continually re-elected the dean of the House, and every working day he has led the fight for health care and justice,” Levin said. “Every session he has introduced a bill for universal health care, just like his father before him.

“He hasn’t given up the fight, and we will not give up the fight until every American has health care,” he said.

Carl Levin’s brother, U.S. Rep. Sander Levin, D-Southfield, said the Dingell and Levin family have always been close, and the first candidate he ever campaigned for was John Dingell, Sr.

“John Dingell has never represented special interests, only interests that are special,” he said.

Not only is John Dingell the longest serving Congressman in history, the unanimous election of Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer to his seventh term keeps his record intact as the longest serving Michigan Democratic Chair since the 1950's and the senior Democratic state party chair in the country.

“We are not here just to elect a party chair, we are here to tell the rest of Michigan that help is on the way with the stimulus; we are here to tell the rest of Michigan that Gov. Jennifer Granholm is diversifying the economy,” said Sen. Buzz Thomas, D-Detroit, the chair of the convention. “We are also here to tell those knuckle head southern Senators that the auto industry will survive; we helped build America, and we will continue to build America.”

Brewer told the party faithful that Democrats won so big in November for a reason, and we need to remind them of that in 2010.

“The Republican Party is the party of the past,” Brewer said. “You just need to look at who they elected as their chair; a Bush supporter; so big he made him an ambassador.”