Senate Voted to Repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell

Over the weekend, a major headline resounded throughout the news: the repeal of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. The repeal is currently awaiting the signature of President Barack Obama who has stated that he does indeed plan on signing it, enacting it into law. This policy was enacted in 1993 as a compromise by President Bill Clinton. Before Don’t Ask Don’t Tell the military’s policy was to exclude homosexual individuals from the military entirely. With Don’t Ask Don’t Tell openly gay men and women are barred from serving in the military.

With the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, homosexuals can now serve openly in the military without fear of being removed from the service. The end of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy is seen by many as a great victory for tolerance, because no longer will the military be discriminating on the basis of race, religion, sex, and now sexual orientation.

What are your opinions on the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’? What was your response to the results of the Senate’s vote? What sort of impact do you think this repeal will have?

Please comment on this blog entry with your thoughts!

Senate Approves Much Needed Unemployment Relief

Late last night, Senators approved final legislation that extends long-term unemployment benefits to millions of Americans through November. The measure reauthorizes payments to individuals who have been out of work for six months or more.

In late May, a filibuster stalled legislation allowing long-term unemployment benefits to expire. As a result, 2.5 million Americans went without much needed income for nearly two months. That filibuster ended Tuesday night with a 60 to 40 Senate vote. Qualifying individuals will receive benefits retroactively, but states may take a month to process and send checks.

Extending unemployment benefits not only helps those in need of unemployment relief, but also provides necessary stimulus for the U.S. Economy. Individuals that have few alternative sources of income have no choice but to spend their unemployment benefits on local goods and services, such as food, childcare, and transportation, providing businesses in their communities with immediate economic boosts.

In fact, the practice of providing jobless benefits in the midst of economic downturn is a routine policy established in 2008 under the Bush Administration. Until unemployment figures fall and the economy achieves greater stability, the tradition to assist individuals during hard times remains one of utmost importance.

For more information on how to access unemployment benefits, please visit the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.