This morning, I wrote about DADT repeal:
Speaker Pelosi's office announced it is the Speaker's "intention" to hold a vote on DADT repeal this year. Great news.
It will be interesting to see how the White House reacts, and how members vote, in advance of the Pentagon review being completed. Remember Sec. Gates said in answer to a direct question on that issue, "I do not recommend a change in the law before we have completed our study."
This afternoon, President Gates and Vice President Mullen weighed in:
WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates is warning Congress not to tamper with the military's ban on openly gay service members until he can come up with his own plan for repeal. In a strongly worded letter, obtained by The Associated Press, Gates told a House committee on Friday 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."
I'm having embed issues, but full text of the letter is here. The letter, written in response to a request for comment from House Armed Services Chairman Ike Skelton- a known opponent of repealing DADT- makes clear that this review is to conduct an "assessment of the impact of such a policy change".
There you go. This is not a "how and when" review; this is an "if" review, and that is unacceptable. Did the White House even vet this? This can all be amenable to all parties by including a date certain for repeal in the legislation, while allowing the Pentagon to finish examining how best to implement such a change.
I go back to my interview with retired Vice Admiral and Rep. Joe Sestak, who oversaw substantial change inside the E-ring:
Adam: You talked about a "Z-Gram"- what is the fastest process that could and perhaps should be taken versus a long, drawn-out process?
Rep. Sestak: A "Z-Gram" was where the Chief of Naval Operations would say, here's the new policy. The best way to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell is to call the flag leadership together and then they meet with their commanders, then those officers meet with their subordinate commanders, and through the chain of command there's an explanation of why and how this policy is going to be changed. You have the chain of command, the leadership including the chief petty officers, who are the backbone of the Navy, understanding why. Then you set out, on this date certain, this will be the change. But the problem is they're going to study it for a year first, then there will be the implementation. And I just think that's an awful long time to study an implementation.
[...]
Adam: If the Pentagon implemented the timeline that you outline, how long do you think that should take?
Rep. Sestak: I would say two to three months. Because you can do this in a nice deliberate way and still finish it in that period of time. Someone used the phrase to me, the military is always "ready". We can do these things. I always remember former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Crowe once said, supposedly to President Clinton, just tell the military to do it and they'll do it.
Apparently that's not how the chain of command works in President Obama's President Gates' administration.
Update: Over e-mail, I received Sen. Gillibrand's statement. Sen. Gillibrand has led part of the push on the Hill for hearings and for repeal in general.
Washington, DC - Following a letter from Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, telling Congress today to wait to repeal "Don't Ask Don't Tell," U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand issued the following statement:
"I respectfully disagree with Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen. Congress should not sit on their hands.
"Now is the time for Congress to show strong leadership and repeal this disastrous policy. 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' is wrong for our national security and inconsistent with the moral foundation upon which our country was founded.
"When we repeal this policy - and we will repeal this policy - we will strengthen America - both militarily and morally."
Update 2: Also received over e-mail, Servicemembers United, a DADT repeal group affiliated with HRC, rips the letter, and describes the date certain process I talk about above (bolding mine):
"This letter from Secretary Gates is a significant cause for concern for those who truly respect and support the gay military community," said Alexander Nicholson, a former U.S. Army interrogator who was discharged under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' and who is the current Executive Director of Servicemembers United. "Several of the points in this letter are patently offensive and false, such as the claim that repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' would have a 'direct impact for [troops] and their families' or the suggestion that legislative action to repeal the law this year would 'send a very damaging message to our men and women in uniform that in essence their views, concerns, and perspectives do not matter.'"
For more than a year, Servicemembers United has been actively lobbying for a repeal plan that would respect the need of the Department of Defense to proceed in a thoughtful and measured way and to plan for repeal implementation in advance. The plan, which Servicemembers United released publicly in early February but which the White House has had since last spring, would allow for legislative repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" statute now but delay the effective date of full repeal until a pre-determined future point at which the Department of Defense is comfortable and ready for the change. This type of plan, referred to as a Set End-Date / Delayed Implementation plan, would accomplish both the goals of the President and the goals of the Pentagon without risking the lives and livelihoods of gay and lesbian troops by delaying legislative action.
Nicholson added, "If the White House and the Department of Defense had been more engaged with us and had communicated with us better about the alternatives available, Secretary Gates would surely not feel that legislative action this year would disrespect the opinions of the troops or negatively impact them and their families. This is partly a failure of the Administration to substantively engage the gay military community in a timely manner, and it remains unacceptable. The Commander-in-Chief should strongly and immediately speak out about the need to move swiftly and decisively on this issue for the sake of military readiness. It is, after all, as the President said, 'the right thing to do.'"
Well said.
Update 3: I received a statement from the White House over e-mail:
"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."
This avoids the issue. The issue is whether or not to hold a repeal vote before the review is completed assuming a delayed implementation, not whether to implement repeal upon the President's signature. They've never answered this question, and that's the one on the table- is the White House in favor of a repeal vote NOW assuming implementation is delayed- something even more aggressive supporters of repeal like me, Servicemembers United and SLDN are in favor of- or not?
Update 4: Over e-mail, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network's statement, also spot on (excerpted):
"The President of the United States appears to have reversed himself from what he told the American people in his State of the Union Address. We have the votes in the House and we're close to having the votes in the Senate Armed Services Committee -- the President, however, is not helping us to get the votes we need. Service members around the world took the President at his word; we still do.
"It's time for the president and commander in chief to speak clearly and frankly on this issue. The commander in chief sounds like he is deferring to his Defense Secretary, to a House Chairman who opposes him on repeal, and to his political operatives.
"With all due respect to Secretary Gates, it is Congress that determines the legislative schedule, not the Secretary of Defense. Congressional leaders and repeal advocates may need to give the Pentagon leaders a gentle reminder.
Update 5: Now this is getting interesting. Speaker Pelosi issued a statement calling on the President to issue a moratorium on discharges (h/t Aravosis):
Washington, D.C. - Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement in response to a letter sent this afternoon by Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Defense Secretary Robert Gates concerning the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy:
"We all look forward to the report on the review of the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy by the Defense Department. 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."
I agree with John, that's on the unusual side. Of course, I wouldn't be thrilled either if I announced my intention to hold a repeal vote this year and the Defense Secretary essentially told the world "that would be a mistake."
By the way, if this pisses you off too, don't forget the rally on Sunday in Lafayette Park, 12-3 PM. Details on Facebook.
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