DefSec Gates Warns Congress Against Repealing DADT This Year

In this week's Friday evening document dump ...

Defense Secretary Roberts Gates writes a "strongly worded" letter warning Congress against repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" before the Pentagon concludes its year-long "study"—ie, before the mid-term elections. Because we need to get the troops' opinions first, reports the Associated Press.

"In a strongly worded letter, obtained by The AP, Gates told a House committee that forcing policy changes on the military before it's ready 'would send a very damaging message to our men and women in uniform that in essence their views, concerns and perspectives do not matter.' Gay rights advocates want legislation this year that would freeze military firings of openly gay service members, and some lawmakers are planning to offer such a bill."

Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese—who assured us that the Administration had a "clear path" toward repeal and it would happen "this year" — issues this response:

"Today’s letter from Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen to House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton flies in the face of the President’s commitment in the State of the Union address to work with Congress to repeal the discriminatory 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell' law this year. If the President is going to fulfill his promise it is essential that he address this contradiction immediately. It is inconceivable that the Secretary of Defense would so blatantly undermine the Commander-in-Chief’s policy commitment. There is no reason that Congress cannot move forward with repeal while the Pentagon’s review of how – not if – to end the ban on open service continues apace. ...  Action by Congress this year ... will not, as the Secretary suggests, ‘send a very damaging message to our men and women in uniform that in essence their views, concerns and perspectives do not matter on an issue with such a direct impact on and consequence for them and their families.’ But failure to act this year will, without a doubt, continue to send the message to the thousands of gay and lesbian Americans serving their country in silence that their views and concerns, and the impact on them and their families, do not matter to the military leadership, including their Commander-in-Chief."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi—who this week announced her "intention" to hold a vote "this year—tells the Washington Blade:

"[Pelosi spokesperson Drew Hammill] said Pelosi’s position is unchanged. 'The Speaker maintains her hope to repeal this discriminatory policy this year.' Separately, Pelosi issued a statement publicly saying she believes a moratorium should be put in place for the time being. 'We all look forward to the report on the review of the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy by the Defense Department,” she said. “In the meantime, the administration should immediately place a moratorium on dismissals under this policy until the review has been completed and Congress has acted.'"

The official response from the White House Press Office, emailed to Rod 2.0:

"The President's commitment to repealing "don't ask, don't tell" is unequivocal. This is not a question of if, but how. That's why we've said that the implementation of any congressional repeal will be delayed until the DOD study of how best to implement that repeal is completed. The President is committed to getting this done both soon and right."

The complete letter can be seen HERE.

Armed Services Chairman Ike Skelton is on record for opposing any repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." In the last several weeks, a growing number of Democratic senators and congressmen have pushed to include repeal language in the FY2011 Defense Authorization Request. This letter from DefSec Gates should clearly telegraph the White House's "intentions" toward those troublemakers.

More as this develops over the weekend ...

Comments

[Former COGIC]

'would send a very damaging message to our men and women in uniform that in essence their views, concerns and perspectives do not matter.''

when is the military a democracy?
did they survey troops before invading iraq? what about when women joined? or blacks? did gates and obama poll sailors before deciding to bring women on submarines?

if truman had polled white troops in 1948 about integration, or johnson polled white people in 1964 about civil rights, we would nev er have got it. and this is hella less controversial than integration in 1948 or 1964.

and if its not a question of "if", then their opinions dont matter anyway.

i knew in my heart that this year long study was kicking the can down the road. i knew it but chose to bite my tongue and see how this plays out but no more. this is pulling the rug from congress.

and so much for enda, i guess we should survey companies and ask them how they feel about anti discrimination bills first right?

smh

[Jim]

Former COGIC, your remarks are right on the money.

Gay people’s serving in the military has been an issue since Clinton took office in 1993. For many weeks in 1993, I would walk by the sidewalk newspaper boxes to see that they were debating whether gay people were really human beings or not on the papers’ front pages.

Now, seventeen years later, they are surveying twenty-year-olds from Mississippi to find out if we are really human beings or not.

The bottom line is this: No one who really thinks you are a human being asks another to express his opinion about the matter. If someone thinks you are a human being, he will believe your rights are non-negotiable.

If Obama does not think we are really human beings, then we need to replace him with someone who does. If Obama does think we are human beings, then he needs to hire advisors and cabinet members who agree with him. Otherwise, he is either incompetent or cowardly.

[Rainbow Ribbon Project]

They are‘sending a very damaging message to our Lesbian and Gay men and women in uniform that in essence their views, concerns and perspectives do not matter on an issue with such a direct impact on and consequence for them and their families. They only care how it impacts the Straight men and women and their families. How often do they poll the men and women about issues or changes they implement? Did they poll the Lesbian and Gay men and women about the impact on their lives and families before they implemented DADT?