R. Clarke Cooper, the executive director of the National Log Cabin Republicans, sent a letter yesterday to Representative Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) requesting that Hunter halt plans to introduce a potentially disruptive amendment to ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’
The Washington Blade reports that Hunter announced his intention Monday to introduce an amendment to the 2012 fiscal year’s defense authorization bill that would broaden certification requirements necessary for the repeal to move forward. The proposed expansion would include the four military service chiefs among those required to sign off on the repeal of DADT before it could take full effect.
In his letter to Hunter, Cooper asked, “please do not road block the repeal of [‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’] by introducing an amendment…which would add an unnecessary and unwanted certification measure to a clear, comprehensive and thus-far successful certification process.”
Cooper also referenced his and Hunter’s shared experience as former military service members (Hunter is a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and a former member of the Marine Corps), explaining that “as a current captain in the United States Army Reserve, I will attest that…DADT does nothing to benefit the mission of the United States military.”
“…Forcing servicemembers to hide or lie about their sexual orientation…undermines servicemembers’ responsibility under the Uniform Code of Military Justice,” Cooper continued. In addition, he argued that DADT enforces dishonesty – an act that directly counters long-standing Army values of “Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage.”
A spokesman for Hunter responded to Cooper in a statement, noting that the proposed amendment noting that it “isn’t intended to derail ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ repeal’.” Rather, it seeks to create “a process that examines every possible issue, big and small” and that allows the service chiefs to contribute to the final certification decision.
Hunter’s decision today regarding the introduction of the amendment could impact the significant number of San Diego gay and lesbian individuals who are or have been active military service members. Check back for updates as we continue to cover the implications of Hunter’s proposed amendment and changes to the 2012 defense authorization bill.
Update: Amendment passed, DADT repeal delayed
Late last night, the House Armed Services Committee passed Hunter’s amendment to delay the implementation of DADT repeal in the armed forces. The amendment passed by a 33 to 27 vote.
Speakers in defense of the delayed repeal action argued that eliminating ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ could endanger troops in the field of battle, and that the additional certification from the four service chiefs proposed in Hunter’s amendment will further safeguard the lives of service members.
Marine Corps Commandant General James Amos was once a leading voice amongst those fighting to keep DADT in place in the interest of troops’ safety. However, Amos reversed his stance on the issue last month and testified that much of the anticipated anxiety and resistance to repeal training simply has not been an issue thus far.
OnTop magazine reports that the Committee also passed two additional measures pertaining to LGBT rights: an amendment defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman for the purpose of military benefits, passed by a 39-22 vote, and an amendment prohibiting same-sex couples from marrying on military bases and forbidding military personnel from taking part in any such ceremony.
All three amendments directly reversed forward steps made on behalf of gay rights in the military earlier this week. In response to their passage, SLDN executive director Aubrey Sarvis said that the delays are “a partisan political attempt to interject the same-sex marriage debate and other unrelated social issues into the NDAA…where they have no place.”
“Make no mistake,” Sarvis concluded, “these votes should be a wake-up call to supporters of open service that our work is not done.”
Update: White House objects to amendment
The White House has expressed serious objections to Hunter’s amendment to DADT repeal requiring the certification of the four service chiefs prior to implementation.
Metro Weekly reports that Shin Inouye, a White House spokesman on the issue, stated that President Obama is already working closely with the Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to certify the safety of DADT repeal as outlined in the original repeal bill.
Inouye said that the current process and updated policies are “consistent with the standards of military readiness, military effectiveness, unit cohesion, and recruiting and retention of the Armed Forces,” and added that the White House has “serious objections to any amendment that would unnecessarily delay this process.”
The White House has yet to comment on the other two amendments passed last week concerning LGBT unions in the U.S. military.
