National Security
Democrats are committed to enhancing our national security and advancing key American interests, while supporting human rights and democratic values at home and abroad.
In the 117th Congress, Democrats passed a bipartisan defense authorization bill that strengthened our national security, ensured our military personnel have the resources they need to defend our country, and bolstered our allies and international interests. In the 118th Congress, Democrats will build on these gains by continuing to help President Biden keep Americans safe.
We will continue to work with the Administration to provide our diplomats and our troops with the tools needed to carry out their missions abroad safely and effectively. This will include continuing to work with our allies to ensure Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine ends in defeat for Putin, that America maintains its competitiveness against China’s authoritarian challenges, and that the world is free from threats posed by Iran.
House Republicans had the worst day of their majority so far when internal GOP divisions resulted in a pair of unexpected and unwelcome defeats for the new leadership Tuesday.
President Obama delivered a compelling vision of how we can work together to address America’s challenges. While our economy is on the road back to health, we know we still have a long way to go—and tonight, the president discussed a strategy for getting us there.
When Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) led more than a dozen lawmakers onto a Capitol stage Tuesday to commemorate the repeal of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, she earned a minute-long standing ovation from a packed auditorium of gay-rights supporters.
Today the House voted for final passage of the Ike Skelton Defense Authorization Bill. This legislation makes crucial investments in our national security, nuclear counterproliferation and counterterrorism efforts, and the well being of our troops. I have been consistently committed to making sure that this critical national security legislation be completed by the Congress, as has been done for 48 years running. I am pleased to see its passage, and particularly so in the name of our outgoing Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Ike Skelton.
Today, I was proud to join President Obama as he signed into law a bill to allow the Department of Defense to repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' For far too long, this discriminatory policy has harmed our military's effectiveness by depriving it of the service of brave Americans willing to fight for their country. That's why our military's leaders, our troops, and a large majority of the American people all wanted 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' to be repealed.
"Today marks the end of the discriminatory 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy, with the Defense Department now empowered to implement its repeal. I have long called for the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' and I am proud to have fought to end it, from writing the compromise language that passed the House in May, to serving as the original co-sponsor of Rep. Patrick Murphy's stand alone legislation that passed the House this past week...
This Defense Authorization bill is about securing our nation in stronger and smarter ways. It builds on our strong Democratic record of putting new and better weapons into the battlefield; increasing support for human intelligence collection, cybersecurity, and security for our skies, our ports, and our borders; and looking out for our troops, our veterans, and their families.
As the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell headed toward defeat in the Senate last week -- delivering what was seen at the time as quite possibly a fatal blow to repeal this year -- House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer called Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and said he wanted to help put repeal back on the agenda.
The Senate has at least 62 votes to repeal the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) said Thursday morning.
Today the House voted once again to empower the Defense Department to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ – a policy of officially-sanctioned discrimination,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. “It forces brave men and women to lie about who they are, and it compromises the military’s core value of integrity every day. The majority of our troops want it repealed. And the leaders of our Armed Forces – Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – want it repealed, as well. The Senate must join the House and vote for a responsible end to ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ so we can send it to the President’s desk for his signature.