Washington D.C. — The ban on open military service by lesbian and gay Americans is on a path to repeal this week with the White House, Pentagon leaders and Congress outlining a process that includes votes in the House and Senate as early as Thursday. Legislation to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” will be considered as amendments to the National Defense Authorization bill – the same vehicle by which the law was enacted 17 years ago. The Obama administration endorsed the approach today in a letter to Congressional leaders from Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag.
Aubrey Sarvis along with other lgbt leaders attended a Monday morning meeting with White House officials, Sarvis the executive director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), a national, legal services and policy organization dedicated to ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT), released a statement today after the White House issued a Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) supporting the legislative repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” this year.
Sarvis, who is also an Army veteran said "The White House announcement is a dramatic breakthrough in dismantling Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. The path forward crafted by the President, Department of Defense officials, and repeal leaders on Capitol Hill respects the ongoing work by the Pentagon on how to implement open service and allows for a vote this week. President Obama’s support and Secretary Gates’ buy-in should insure a winning vote, but we are not there yet. The votes still need to be worked and counted."
"We are on the brink of historic action to both strengthen our military and respect the service of lesbian and gay troops," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "Today’s announcement paves the path to fulfill the President’s call to end Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell this year and puts us one step closer to removing this stain from the laws of our nation."
The proposal would allow Congress to vote to repeal the current DADT law now with implementation to follow upon completion of the Pentagon Working Group study due December 1, 2010. The President, the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs would need to certify that implementation policies and regulations are prepared and that they are consistent with standards for readiness, effectiveness, unit cohesion, recruiting and retention. The plan therefore addresses concerns expressed by the Pentagon that the implementation study process be respected.
—Staff
