Out In Baltimore

WASHINGTON - Congressman Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, has joined 115 Members of Congress in supporting the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, H.R. 1059, a bill to repeal the federal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban on LGB military personnel.

Congressman Cardin represents Maryland's Third District, which includes the United States Naval Academy and parts of the city of Baltimore. Rep. Cardin is the third member of the Maryland delegation to co-sponsor the bill.

"Congressional leaders in large military districts are increasingly speaking out against 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell," said SLDN executive director C. Dixon Osburn. "Congressman Cardin's support of repeal legislation honors those 65,000 lesbian, gay and bisexual service members serving silently at the Naval Academy and elsewhere in the world. His sponsorship of this legislation sends a clear message that repealing 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' is in the best interest of our armed forces and of our nation."

Congressman Marty Meehan, D-Massachusetts, introduced the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, H.R. 1059, in March 2005. The legislation would repeal the military's prohibition on open service by LGB recruits and replace it with a policy of non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Since 1993, more than 10,000 men and women have been discharged under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law at a cost of at least $363.8 million, according to a study from the University of California at Santa Barbara.