Military gay ban argued in House
WASHINGTON — The military's ban on openly gay service members sparked a second day of argument Wednesday on Capitol Hill as the administration's proposal to overturn it faced resistance from Republicans.
The ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon, R-Calif., pressed Pentagon leaders to seek more feedback from service chiefs and expressed reservations about changing the policy during wartime — only to gain a rebuke from a senior Democrat on the committee.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen told the committee they intend to undertake a yearlong study to gain a keener sense of the military's readiness to accept gays and lesbians into the force.
And while Adm. Mullen acknowledged he does not have a full sense yet of a repeal's impact, he disputed the notion that service chiefs have not been consulted fully.
Wednesday was the second day in a row in which the nation's top defense officials addressed the ban on Capitol Hill, the first such back-and-forth between lawmakers and top officials since the 1990s. Some 13,500 service members have been discharged under the policy, including some in specialties that are in short supply in the military. Discharges have declined during the Iraq war, suggesting commanders are reluctant to let able soldiers go because of their sexual orientation.
Army Secretary John M. McHugh, who arrived in Congress as the Northern New York representative in 1993, as the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy was drafted, likely will face questions about it when he testifies on the Army budget later this month.
Mr. McKeon told the officials Wednesday they are "putting the cart before the horse" by advocating for the change before service chiefs fully weigh in about the possible effect on readiness, morale and other issues.
In a statement, Mr. McKeon said, "Before the president or special interests force a change in the policy or law, Congress deserves to see from the services concrete, in-depth evidence that readiness concerns require a change and that such a change would not degrade wartime military readiness in any measurable, significant way. Many of us on this committee have serious concerns with putting our men and women in uniform through such a divisive debate while they are fighting two wars."
But Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Ark., took issue with Mr. McKeon's last comment, recalling that when he served in the Vietnam War, soldiers openly debated the wisdom of that war and that soldiers deployed to Iraq have openly debated that mission among themselves.
"People don't lose their ability to debate public policy because they're in wartime," Mr. Snyder said.
He invited Mr. McKeon to visit with soldiers on active duty to talk about the issue and added that he could find some for Mr. McKeon.
And citing Adm. Mullen's testimony Tuesday to the Senate Armed Services Committee that gay soldiers should not "have to lie about who they are," Mr. Snyder said, "They have to lie about everything in their lives."
What's divisive about the policy, Mr. Snyder said, is that gays and lesbians in the military have to "choose every word carefully" and cannot open up with anyone about details of their lives, for fear of being discovered for their sexual orientation.
Mr. McKeon jumped back in, saying he is more concerned about going forward without a debate.
"I'm not afraid of debate, either," Mr. McKeon said.
At that point, a voice in the room asked, "Can I say something?" and committee Chairman Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., looked around to see who was talking.
"Down here," said the defense secretary, seated at a table facing the panel.
Mr. Gates said that in his many leadership roles in government and business, he has led and managed change in both "stupid" and smart ways — and that the "stupid" approach was to impose change from the top without regard to the views of people who have to implement and abide by the new rules.
He said he ordered a review "precisely to understand the views of military people and their families" and the possible effect on morale and readiness.
"If you want lasting, effective change, you need to get people into the discussion," Mr. Gates said.
Rep. Walter M. Jones, R-N.C., asked whether leaders know how service chiefs feel about the possible change. Adm. Mullen said that officials "have very little objective data on this" and that he does not know what the effect might be, but added that he has had several discussions with service chiefs over several months.
Rep. William L. Owens, who serves on the committee, said in an interview Wednesday that repealing the ban is "the right thing to do."
"When you look at it, we're in a place and point in time where this needs to be done," said Mr. Owens, D-Plattsburgh.
Following the president's lead, military leaders have taken the view that younger people in particular view the issue differently from their elders. Indeed, Colin Powell, the former Joint Chiefs chairman who helped enact the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy during the Clinton administration, publicly reversed himself Wednesday and said the ban should be repealed.
"Attitudes and circumstances have changed," Mr. Powell said in a statement.
And, Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand, D-N.Y., has taken up the issue. In a statement Tuesday, she said, "At a time when our nation is fighting two wars, and with increased national security threats, we can ill afford this loss of personnel and talent in our national defense. Our military is the best in the world. Once gay and lesbian service members are allowed to serve openly, our military will still be the best in the world."
