Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Will slow and steady win the race?

The Pentagon finally released a long awaited report on its year-long study of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, first enacted under the Clinton administration in 1993. The findings revealed that a repeal of DADT would not have long term detrimental effects on the military. Of those who answered the survey, seventy percent said that an openly gay member serving in their unit would have a “positive, mixed or no effect.”

Advocates of the repeal are relying on the decision being made before the lame-duck session’s end; when the 112th Congress meets on January 3, 2011, Republicans will gain majority in the House and will gain 6 seats in Senate. Since the report’s release on Tuesday, President Obama has been pleading to have the repeal enacted as soon as possible. The House has already approved of the repeal, so the decision now lies in Senate, where a 60 vote majority is necessary to pass it.

However, Obama’s Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who ordered the Pentagon’s review earlier this year, admitted that a rushed decision could result in a backlash. Senator Lieberman (I-CT), a strong supporter of the repeal, argued that this process should be given sufficient time to pass, rather than coming to a rushed decision. “I’m convinced we have more than the necessary 60 votes,” stated Sen. Lieberman, ensuring that Republicans would break the party line to repeal the law, but only if “we take the time to have the debate, not just on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" but on the underlining Defense Authorization bill”. Among these senators are Silvestre Reyes (R-TX) and Susan Collins (R-ME).

Complicating the issue, however, was a recent decision by the Senate GOP conference to block all legislation until tax cuts are worked out. This was signed by all 42 Republican senators, including those who have indicated support for an amendment on the defense bill.

Hearings on the report will be held on December 2 and December 3, but regardless, it seems that little action will be taken before January unless other issues are cleared first.

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