Obama reaches deal in bid to repeal ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama reached a deal with key Democrats Monday that could repeal the “don’t
ask, don’t tell” policy governing gays and lesbians in the military —
assuming Congress signs on.

The proposal would let lawmakers vote now to repeal
the law, allowing openly gay service members to serve once the
president and top military leaders certify that wouldn’t threaten the
military’s “readiness, effectiveness, unit cohesion, and recruiting and
retention,” according to documents the sponsors sent to the
administration.

The White House replied that the proposal “meets the concerns” raised by the Pentagon and that the Obama administration supports it.

Voting before the November elections — when
Democrats are expected to lose seats — gives the proposal its best
chance at passage.

The House could take up the proposal — as an
amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act — as early as
Thursday. But the third-ranking Republican said his party would unify
to oppose it.

“The American people don’t want the American military to be used to advance a liberal political agenda,” Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., told The Associated Press.

Democrats hold a commanding lead in the House and probably could pass the proposal without Republican support.

In the Senate, which expects to act in
June, 60 votes are required to cut off debate. Republicans hold 41
seats and could filibuster if they chose.

Gay activists hailed the proposal, while conservatives condemned it.

Even if the plan becomes law, current practices would stay the same until sometime after the Pentagon completes a review of its ability to adapt to the change without harming military readiness. That review is scheduled to end Dec. 1.

The current policy has been in effect since 1993, when it was considered a reform. President Bill Clinton instituted “don’t ask, don’t tell” to end the military’s practice of
seeking out and ejecting gays and lesbians. As long as gays keep their
sexual orientation secret, they are allowed to serve.

More than 10,000 service members have been discharged for violating the policy.

Obama has long pledged to do away with the ban on
openly gay service members. Several military leaders, including Defense
Secretary Robert Gates, have said they agree. But crafting legislation had been elusive until now.

The lead sponsors of the measure, Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Pa., and Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., pledged to work with both sides of the aisle to pass the proposal.

“It is our firm belief that it is time to repeal
this discriminatory policy that not only dishonors those who are
willing to give their lives in service to their country but also
prevents capable men and women with vital skills from serving in the
armed forces at a time when our nation is fighting two wars,” Murphy
and Lieberman said in a joint statement late Monday.

In a letter to the White House, Murphy, Lieberman and Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.,
chairman of the Armed Services Committee, outlined their plan to repeal
the policy pending certification of readiness by the president and top
military officials.

White House budget director Peter Orszag replied in writing that, although it would be “ideal” if Congress waited for the Pentagon readiness review before taking action, the administration finds the plan acceptable.

The proposal “recognizes the critical need to allow
our military and their families the full opportunity to inform and
shape the implementation process,” Orszag wrote. “The administration
therefore supports the proposed amendment.”

Gay activists, who had been impatient with the administration’s failure to act sooner, were thrilled.

“This announcement from the White House
today is long awaited, much needed, and immensely helpful as we enter a
critical phase of the battle to repeal the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’
law,” said Alexander Nicholson, executive director of Servicemembers United and a former U.S. Army interrogator who was discharged under “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

“We have been making the case to White House
staff for more than a year now that delayed implementation is
realistic, politically viable, and the only way to get the defense
community on board with repeal, and we are glad to see the community
and now the administration and defense leadership finally rally around
this option,” Nicholson said.

But Tony Perkins, president of the conservative Family Research Council,
condemned the agreement as a backroom deal that “disregards the views
of our troops and uses the military to advance the political agenda of
a radical special interest group.”

“This rushed deal is a tacit admission that after
the November election, the Democrats are likely to lose a working
liberal majority,” Perkins said. “They want to get what they can now,
and also far enough away from the election that it won’t be prominent
in the mind of voters.”

———

(c) 2010, Tribune Co.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.