Senator Calls on Obama to Pressure Top Pentagon Officials on DADT Repeal

 

U.S. Senator Mark Udall (D-CO) issued a letter Thursday to President Obama requesting he have Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen submit their recommendations on repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

 

“I respectfully request, Mr. President, that you consider asking Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen to send their views within the next 30 days on when repeal should happen and their plans for effective implementation of the proposed non-discrimination policy,” he writes.

 

In the letter, Udall says Congress "has the responsibility" of repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and replacing it with a non-discrimination policy.

 

Udall, a first-term senator and former U.S. House member, cites the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as reason to move swiftly on repealing DADT.

 

“We need all qualified men and women, many with mission-critical skills, to fight and win America's wars,” he writes.

 

However, Udall notes that he agrees with Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, that “Congress must consult with senior military leadership” and consider their recommendations and views before moving forward.

Udall sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee and would have an early voice in advocating for the repeal of DADT.

 

Tara Trujillo, spokesperson for Udall, said the senator was a co-sponsor of repeal legislation when he was a House member and his current position in the Senate puts him in a strong place to guide repeal.

 

"Because he sits on [the Senate Armed Services Committee], that would be the committee that's in charge of changing this outdated policy, and he would part of that," she said.

 

No senator has yet been confirmed as the lead sponsor of a possible bill but Senator Joe Lieberman has been in talks with the Obama administration on repeal.

 

"I've talked to people at the White House, and I've talked to people in the advocacy community and … I look forward to being part of trying to repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,'" he said.

 

Lieberman said he opposes "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" because he wants the U.S. military to attract the best enlistees.

 

"The military should in a position to pull from the widest pool and enlist the most capable people, and those people should be judged based on the quality on their service, not on their sexual orientation," he said.

 

A House repeal bill, the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1283), introduced in March is being carried by Rep. Patrick Murphy, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, and currently has 180 cosponsors.

 

Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the LGBT military veterans advocacy group Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) has been in discussions with senators and the White House and believes that DADT would be repealed soon.

 

“SLDN is working with key senators on Senate Armed Services Committee and believes the White House is actively engaged to help facilitate a timely, bipartisan bill introduction and is also having critically needed repeal discussions within the Pentagon. SLDN is counting on getting repeal done in 2010.”

 

Sen. Udall's Letter:

 

The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20500

 

Dear Mr. President

 

I am writing to applaud you for taking such a bold and strong stand last weekend in favor of repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the law that bars openly gay men and women from serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.  You stated that “we should not be punishing patriotic Americans who have stepped forward to serve the country.  We should be celebrating their willingness to step forward and show such courage…especially when we are fighting two wars.”  I could not agree more.

 

As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I, too, intend to be an outspoken champion for reversing the 1993 ban.  Congress has the responsibility of repealing the law and replacing it with a policy of nondiscrimination.  However, I agree with Chairman Carl Levin that Congress must consult with senior military leadership and get their buy-in.  You may recall when Admiral Mullen came before SASC last month for his reconfirmation hearing, I asked Admiral Mullen if he would provide me with his recommendations in writing prior to the DADT Senate hearing this fall.  Admiral Mullen agreed to do so.

 

I am now awaiting the Admiral’s views.  I respectfully request, Mr. President, that you consider asking Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen to send their views within the next 30 days on when repeal should happen and their plans for effective implementation of the proposed non-discrimination policy.

 

I know you are aware of the urgency.  Not only ahs the injustice of DADT been going on for 16 years, but we also currently find ourselves in two major conflicts.  We need all qualified men and women, many with mission-critical skills, to fight and win America’s wars.  And the American public is ready for this and is with us.

 

Much has changed in the 16 years since the law passed in 1993.  Polling consistently shows the public overwhelmingly favors allowing gay people to serve openly.  Similarly, attitude in the military have drastically changed, particularly among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.  And, as of today, there are 180 members in the House of Representatives who have cosponsored the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1283).

 

I have been particularly pleased to see that all objective assessment of gays in the military, from the 1992 RAND Corporation study to the essay by Col. Om Prakash in Joint Force Quarterly last month, indicate unequivocally that allowing gay people to serve openly will have no adverse impact on unit cohesion or readiness.

 

I welcome your strong commitment to repealing this law and look forward to working with you in the coming weeks and months on the shared objective of overturning “don’t ask, don’t tell” in this Congress.

 

Sincerely,

Mark Udall

U.S. Senator

 

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