visit aflac.com for an agent or quote. aflac! tonight s keeping them honest report is about don t ask, don t tell. lawmakers have figured out a way to stop the repeal of don t ask don t tell without having to say that s what they re actually doing. senator john mccain has been moving the goalposts on lifting the laws, repeatedly changing his conditions for considering repeal. now opponents of repeal are borrowing another football tactic, running out the clock. senators saying there simply isn t enough time left in the current session, too much to do, too little time. the defense authorization bill requires four or five weeks to debate. but instead of having that debate or turning to the defense appropriations bill which funds the military, they want to use this week for a political exercise. senate minority leader mitch mcconnell. that was in september. he s talking about the legislation that don t ask don t
reform on christmas eve last year. most americans work basically up until christmas eve. this year a number of senators who support ending don t ask don t tell want to extend the session again. among them is independent senator joe lieberman of connecticut. we spoke earlier tonight. senator lieberman, senate republicans say there needs to be a two-week minimum on the bill, even though they re typically passed in a number of days. are they just trying to run out the clock on don t ask, don t tell? it sure looks like that to me. i don t make that i don t reach that conclusion lightly. but we ve got the time to take up the underlying defense bill, which is very important to our military. it authorizes pay increases and equipment to protect our troops, better housing for their families back home. that bill has been passed in every congress since the 60s. and for opponents of don t ask, don t tell being repeopled to hold up that bill because
equipment to protect our troops, better housing for their families back home. that bill has been passed in every congress since the 60s. and for opponents of don t ask, don t tell being repeopled to hold up that bill because there s so much against the repeal of don t ask, don t tell, i just think is plain wrong. we ve got the time to do it. that s why i ve been saying that i know everybody has this goal of leaving washington on december 17th, this is too important. we should stay into the next week to get it done. if we have to come back after christmas, we should do that. this is look. most americans are working until the day before christmas, and all of our troops will be out on the battle fields right through christmas and new year s. we in congress should work at least that long to get done what is the nation s business. how much support do you have for that idea of staying, you know, through christmas or coming back after christmas?
there s so much against the repeal of don t ask, don t tell, i just think is plain wrong. we ve got the time to do it. that s why i ve been saying that i know everybody has this goal of leaving washington on december 17th, this is too important. we should stay into the next week to get it done. if we have to come back after christmas, we should do that. this is look. most americans are working until the day before christmas, and all of our troops will be out on the battle fields right through christmas and new year s. we in congress should work at least that long to get done what is the nation s business. how much support do you have for that idea of staying, you know, through christmas or coming back after christmas? well, i raised that in the democratic caucus today, and we didn t have a show of hands, but there were applause and two or three people got up after me, said, yes, i will. this is too important, both the defense bill itself, to support
bill, even though they re typically passed in a number of days. are they just trying to run out the clock on don t ask, don t tell? it sure looks like that to me. i don t make that i don t reach that conclusion lightly. but we ve got the time to take up the underlying defense bill, which is very important to our military. it authorizes pay increases and equipment to protect our troops, better housing for their families back home. that bill has been passed in every congress since the 60s. and for opponents of don t ask, don t tell being repeopled to hold up that bill because there s so much against the repeal of don t ask, don t tell, i just think is plain wrong. we ve got the time to do it. that s why i ve been saying that i know everybody has this goal of leaving washington on december 17th, this is too important. we should stay into the next week to get it done. if we have to come back after christmas, we should do that. this is look. most americans are working until