Quigley Honors Re-Enlisted Gay Veteran Lee Reinhart

"Mr. Speaker two years ago I stood on this floor and spoke out against the injustice of our nation's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy. I told the story of Lee Reinhart, a patriotic constituent of mine who wanted to serve his country in time of war.

"Lee had already retired from a four-year navy career when our nation was attacked on September 11. Like many Americans after September 11, Lee wanted to serve his country and again enlisted in the coast guard. But four months later he was discharged under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'

"Last December my colleagues and I repealed that policy. And Monday I had the honor administering the oath to Lee Reinhart as he re-enlisted in the navy. Dr. Martin Luther King once said, 'The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.' Mr. Speaker, I was proud of my country and proud of Lee Reinhart when justice finally arrived for both."