On November 30, the Pentagon released its Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell report, including:
• Report of the Comprehensive Review of the Issues Associated with a Repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
• Support Plan for Implementation.
• WESTAT Survey Report: Support to the DOD Comprehensive Review Working Group Analyzing the Impact of Repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
o Volume 1: Findings From the Surveys
o Volume 1: Appendices A – AL
o Volume 2: Findings from the Qualitative Research Tasks
Today, the Senate Armed Services Committee concluded the first of two days of hearings on the report. Perhaps most notable was Senator McCain’s performance. It appears his new “concern” is that Congress hasn’t been given enough time to review the issue. He objected to having been given only a few minutes with Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
As you can see from the CQ Congressional Transcript, Senator McCain fails to recognize the Secretary’s scheduling conflict; obviously they can’t ask him questions if he’s not in the room. He fails to recognize that he hasn’t just had the 36 hours since the report’s release to review the issue; he’s had almost two years of the Obama Administration, debate during the presidential campaign before that, and a full 17 years since Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’s original enactment. What exactly is Senator McCain waiting for?
One word: WikiLeaks.
Not one bit of connection to Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell there. Yet, instead of using every second of his precious first round time with Secretary Gates, Senator McCain took time at the end to question the Secretary on the WikiLeaks controversy. And that wasn’t the last time you heard WikiLeaks mentioned today.
Serious? Yes.
Ripe for oversight? Yes.
Topic of today’s hearing? No.
But let’s not end on a sour note.
Secretary Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen (who were joined by the Honorable Jeh C. Johnson and General Carter F. Ham, USA, the co-chairs of the Pentagon’s Comprehensive Review Working Group) were strong in their resolve for repeal.
Mullen — who said he believes personally and professionally that repealing the law is the right thing to do — said the repeal would be the only change the military services would experience as a result.
“Nothing will change about our standards of conduct,” the chairman said. “Nothing will change about the dignity and the fairness and the equality with which we treat our people. And nothing will change about the manner in which we deal with those who cannot abide by these standards.”
For some, Mullen told the senators, the debate on the issue is all about gray areas.
“There is no gray area here,” he said. “We treat each other with respect, or we find another place to work. Period.”
Well said, Admiral Mullen.
Tomorrow brings the testimony of the chiefs of the various armed services. If you’d like to watch, check out C-SPAN 3 or the Committee’s own webcast. An archive of today’s webcast is available here.