Commander in Chief orders Defense Secretary Robert Gates to present a strategy to repeal "don't ask, don't tell" at Senate hearings
UPDATE 3/6/10: Gay issue weakens military during wartime
-- From "Bid to Repeal 'Don't Ask' Builds" by Yochi J. Dreazen, The Wall Street Journal 1/29/10
Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen will testify before a Senate panel next week about how to repeal a 16-year-old law banning gay people from serving openly in the nation's military, the clearest sign to date of the Obama administration's determination to eliminate the "don't ask, don't tell" restrictions.
President Barack Obama campaigned on a promise to repeal the ban and reiterated that vow in Wednesday's State of the Union address. Still, it is far from clear that a repeal bill would have enough political support to pass the divided Congress. A current House bill that would repeal the legislation has 187 supporters, leaving it 31 votes short of the 218 needed to ensure passage. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D., Mich.) supports eliminating the restriction, but lawmakers have yet to introduce a Senate bill to repeal the law.
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From "Pentagon plan on 'don't ask, don't tell' ready for Congress" from Barbara Starr, CNN 1/28/10
According to the Senate Web site, the Senate Armed Services Committee has scheduled an hour to discuss the issue at Tuesday's hearing on the fiscal year 2011 defense budget, which Gates will attend.
Gates and Mullen are not expected to offer a specific legislative proposal to repeal the law, but rather to detail some of the preliminary steps that need to be taken inside the military in advance of formulating a legislative plan.
Gates will discuss options for more "humanely" implementing the current ban, for example, according to a senior Pentagon official. The secretary asked his general counsel's office for options six months ago including how to possibly not expel personnel whose homosexuality is revealed by third parties, the source said.
Another military official familiar with the discussion said some of the issues to be considered include the cost of implementing a new policy, benefits for gay spouses, potential hate crimes, and even logistical questions such as the possible need to renovate barracks to separate straight and gay troops.
At least one member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -- Gen. James Conway, commandant of the Marine Corps -- has expressed reservations in the past about repealing the law.
In November, Conway said through a spokesman: "Our Marines are currently engaged in two fights, and our focus should not be drawn away from those priorities."
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