Patrick Murphy is a congressman who served in the US Army. Now he is working to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell.

Huzzah! To Congressman Murphy!!!!

Quote:
'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Foe Patrick Murphy Turns Up the Heat
July 08, 2009 03:44 PM ET | Paul Bedard, Amanda Ruggeri | Permanent Link | Print
By Amanda Ruggeri, Washington Whispers

Rep. Patrick Murphy has two pieces of advice for his fellow congressmen: Do what's right, not just what's political. Oh, and don't cross him. The Pennsylvania Democrat is currently trying to whip up support for H.R. 1283, which would repeal "don't ask, don't tell," and he's working hard on getting the 218 votes it'll need to pass the House. One of the problems he might run into is the backlash back home. "I'm a congressman, but I have some criticisms about Congress. And I think some folks in Congress are afraid of keeping their own seats, and that's affecting the change that we all know needs to happen in our country," says Murphy. He ought to know. Murphy won his seat by just 1,521 votes in 2006. "This is something I don't take lightly, neither," he said, but he's going ahead with pushing for an end to "don't ask" because "we need congressmen and congresswomen and legislators to stand by the courage of their conviction and not worry about the political cycle or when the election is."

Murphy is also giving his fellow lawmakers a warning. "When they look me in the eye and say, 'I'm going to vote for this when it comes up for a vote,' no matter if they get hit from the left or the right in their own congressional districts, whether they're a Democrat or Republican, I'm going to hold them to their word," Murphy said. "And if they lie to me, it's not going to end well for them. I'm the chair of Red to Blue, so if they're a Republican, I'll go get Democrats that run against them. If they're Democrats, I'm going to have some not-nice words to say to them."
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/washingt...-the-heat.html

Why are there no Republicans co-sponsoring this bill?

Rep. Ellen Tauscher [D-CA10]hide cosponsors
Cosponsors [as of 2009-06-27]
Del. Donna Christensen [D-VI]
Del. Eleanor Norton [D-DC]
Rep. Neil Abercrombie [D-HI1]
Rep. Gary Ackerman [D-NY5]
Rep. Robert Andrews [D-NJ1]
Rep. Michael Arcuri [D-NY24]
Rep. Brian Baird [D-WA3]
Rep. Tammy Baldwin [D-WI2]
Rep. Xavier Becerra [D-CA31]
Rep. Shelley Berkley [D-NV1]
Rep. Howard Berman [D-CA28]
Rep. Timothy Bishop [D-NY1]
Rep. Earl Blumenauer [D-OR3]
Rep. Robert Brady [D-PA1]
Rep. Bruce Braley [D-IA1]
Rep. Lois Capps [D-CA23]
Rep. Michael Capuano [D-MA8]
Rep. Russ Carnahan [D-MO3]
Rep. André Carson [D-IN7]
Rep. Kathy Castor [D-FL11]
Rep. Yvette Clarke [D-NY11]
Rep. William Clay [D-MO1]
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver [D-MO5]
Rep. Steve Cohen [D-TN9]
Rep. John Conyers [D-MI14]
Rep. Joe Courtney [D-CT2]
Rep. Joseph Crowley [D-NY7]
Rep. Elijah Cummings [D-MD7]
Rep. Danny Davis [D-IL7]
Rep. Susan Davis [D-CA53]
Rep. Peter DeFazio [D-OR4]
Rep. Diana DeGette [D-CO1]
Rep. William Delahunt [D-MA10]
Rep. Rosa DeLauro [D-CT3]
Rep. Norman Dicks [D-WA6]
Rep. John Dingell [D-MI15]
Rep. Lloyd Doggett [D-TX25]
Rep. Michael Doyle [D-PA14]
Rep. Donna Edwards [D-MD4]
Rep. Keith Ellison [D-MN5]
Rep. Eliot Engel [D-NY17]
Rep. Anna Eshoo [D-CA14]
Rep. Sam Farr [D-CA17]
Rep. Chaka Fattah [D-PA2]
Rep. Bob Filner [D-CA51]
Rep. Barney Frank [D-MA4]
Rep. Charles Gonzalez [D-TX20]
Rep. Raul Grijalva [D-AZ7]
Rep. Luis Gutiérrez [D-IL4]
Rep. John Hall [D-NY19]
Rep. Phil Hare [D-IL17]
Rep. Jane Harman [D-CA36]
Rep. Alcee Hastings [D-FL23]
Rep. Martin Heinrich [D-NM1]
Rep. Brian Higgins [D-NY27]
Rep. Maurice Hinchey [D-NY22]
Rep. Mazie Hirono [D-HI2]
Rep. Rush Holt [D-NJ12]
Rep. Michael Honda [D-CA15]
Rep. Jay Inslee [D-WA1]
Rep. Steve Israel [D-NY2]
Rep. Jesse Jackson [D-IL2]
Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee [D-TX18]
Rep. Eddie Johnson [D-TX30]
Rep. Henry Johnson [D-GA4]
Rep. Patrick Kennedy [D-RI1]
Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick [D-MI13]
Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy [D-OH15]
Rep. Ron Klein [D-FL22]
Rep. Dennis Kucinich [D-OH10]
Rep. James Langevin [D-RI2]
Rep. Rick Larsen [D-WA2]
Rep. John Larson [D-CT1]
Rep. Barbara Lee [D-CA9]
Rep. John Lewis [D-GA5]
Rep. David Loebsack [D-IA2]
Rep. Zoe Lofgren [D-CA16]
Rep. Nita Lowey [D-NY18]
Rep. Ben Luján [D-NM3]
Rep. Stephen Lynch [D-MA9]
Rep. Carolyn Maloney [D-NY14]
Rep. Edward Markey [D-MA7]
Rep. Eric Massa [D-NY29]
Rep. Doris Matsui [D-CA5]
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy [D-NY4]
Rep. Betty McCollum [D-MN4]
Rep. James McDermott [D-WA7]
Rep. James McGovern [D-MA3]
Rep. Michael McMahon [D-NY13]
Rep. Kendrick Meek [D-FL17]
Rep. Gregory Meeks [D-NY6]
Rep. Michael Michaud [D-ME2]
Rep. Bradley Miller [D-NC13]
Rep. George Miller [D-CA7]
Rep. Gwen Moore [D-WI4]
Rep. James Moran [D-VA8]
Rep. Christopher Murphy [D-CT5]
Rep. Patrick Murphy [D-PA8]
Rep. Jerrold Nadler [D-NY8]
Rep. Grace Napolitano [D-CA38]
Rep. James Oberstar [D-MN8]
Rep. John Olver [D-MA1]
Rep. Frank Pallone [D-NJ6]
Rep. William Pascrell [D-NJ8]
Rep. Edward Pastor [D-AZ4]
Rep. Donald Payne [D-NJ10]
Rep. Gary Peters [D-MI9]
Rep. Chellie Pingree [D-ME1]
Rep. Jared Polis [D-CO2]
Rep. David Price [D-NC4]
Rep. Mike Quigley [D-IL5]
Rep. Laura Richardson [D-CA37]
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen [R-FL18]
Rep. Steven Rothman [D-NJ9]
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard [D-CA34]
Rep. Bobby Rush [D-IL1]
Rep. Linda Sánchez [D-CA39]
Rep. Loretta Sanchez [D-CA47]
Rep. John Sarbanes [D-MD3]
Rep. Janice Schakowsky [D-IL9]
Rep. Adam Schiff [D-CA29]
Rep. Allyson Schwartz [D-PA13]
Rep. Robert Scott [D-VA3]
Rep. José Serrano [D-NY16]
Rep. Joe Sestak [D-PA7]
Rep. Carol Shea-Porter [D-NH1]
Rep. Brad Sherman [D-CA27]
Rep. Albio Sires [D-NJ13]
Rep. Louise Slaughter [D-NY28]
Rep. Adam Smith [D-WA9]
Rep. Victor Snyder [D-AR2]
Rep. Jackie Speier [D-CA12]
Rep. Fortney Stark [D-CA13]
Rep. Betty Sutton [D-OH13]
Rep. Michael Thompson [D-CA1]
Rep. John Tierney [D-MA6]
Rep. Paul Tonko [D-NY21]
Rep. Edolphus Towns [D-NY10]
Rep. Niki Tsongas [D-MA5]
Rep. Christopher Van Hollen [D-MD8]
Rep. Nydia Velázquez [D-NY12]
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz [D-FL20]
Rep. Diane Watson [D-CA33]
Rep. Henry Waxman [D-CA30]
Rep. Anthony Weiner [D-NY9]
Rep. Peter Welch [D-VT]
Rep. Robert Wexler [D-FL19]
Rep. Lynn Woolsey [D-CA6]
Rep. David Wu [D-OR1]
Rep. John Yarmuth [D-KY3]

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-1283

I see my Representative's name on the co-sponsor list. Saves me a phone call, or maybe I'll call and thank him. Do you see yours?