Just received this email from one of my senators
(by the way, I did not write to him as "Mr." anything.
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Dear Mr. _______,
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Thank you for contacting me about current Department of Defense (DoD) policy regarding sexual orientation and military service. *I appreciate having the benefit of your comments on this matter.
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As you know, in 1993, Congress passed legislation to codify the existing military “don’t ask, don’t tell” (DADT) policy, which governs homosexuals serving in the Armed Forces. *This policy has served our nation well, and I oppose any effort to repeal it. *The readiness of our Armed Forces must always be the foremost consideration in any decision regarding military personnel policies, especially as our troops are serving in harm’s way in two active theaters of conflict. *Now is not the time to increase the level of stress on our force through such a dramatic policy change.
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Moreover, as you may know, three of the four military service chiefs recently testified before Congress as to their clear reservations with repealing the policy at the present time. *I believe that it would be a profound mistake to disregard the informed opinion of these military leaders, and I am deeply concerned by the blatant disregard that some members of Congress have shown to their concerns by including provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 (H.R. 5136; S. 3454) that would repeal this law. *For these reasons, I opposed the motion to proceed to consideration of S. 3454, and I will continue to oppose the attempt to repeal the DADT policy.
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The United States Government has no higher purpose than keeping the American people safe from harm. *Our national security depends on the ability of our Armed Forces’ to maintain military readiness at all times. *The linchpin of military readiness lies in maintaining cohesive units consisting of competent, fully trained personnel who share a sense of common purpose and confidence in their unit’s ability to accomplish its mission. *Our Armed Forces recruit the finest individuals possible and help them develop into world-class Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines.
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My father served in the military for thirty-one years, and I was privileged to grow up around men and women dedicated to protecting our country. *As such, I remain committed to ensuring that our military is the best-trained, best-equipped force in the world and able to maintain a strong national defense. *I appreciate your thoughts regarding current military policies, and you may be certain that I will keep your views in mind as these matters are discussed. *Thank you for taking the time to contact me.
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Sincerely,
JOHN CORNYN
United States Senator
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517 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Tel: (202) 224-2934
Fax: (202) 228-2856
http://www.cornyn.senate.gov
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http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/newsletter.
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PLEASE NOTE:
Due to the nature of electronic communication, if you did not receive this e-mail directly from my office, I cannot guarantee that the text has not been altered. *If you have questions about the validity of this message, or would like to respond to this message, please use the web form available at my website,
http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/contact.