Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif., will lead efforts in the U.S. House of Representatives to repeal the anti-gay military policy known as 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' ( DADT ) . In a recent conference call with reporters, the strategy laid out by Tauscher resembled that of a tempered siege more than an all-out assault.
'I could not be more pleased to take on a more visible role in promoting the eventual passage of HR 1246, the Military Readiness Enhancement Act,' Tauscher said. She called DADT 'a dead-wrong policy that is incongruent with the constitutional rights that everyone is meant to have, and is actually damaging to military readiness.'
She is taking on the responsibility as lead sponsor of the repeal effort as Marty Meehan, D-Mass., steps down on July 1 for a post in academia. She chairs the strategic forces subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee.
Tauscher tread back and forth across the partisan/bipartisan line during the news conference. At one point, she hoped to be able to continue to broaden the coalition of supporters 'in a bipartisan and bicameral way.'
But she also pointed to the New Hampshire presidential debates where all of the Democratic candidates support repeal, while most Republicans expressed support for the policy. 'There is a sense that very conservative Republicans, including the president, would be hostile to repealing DADT.'
When pressed on what the White House has said with regard to a veto on this issue, Tauscher said, 'They didn't have to worry about it when Republicans controlled the Congress, like many issues the administration never had to weigh in' because it would never come to a vote.
Sharra Greer, policy director for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network ( SLDN ) , said the White House 'has largely been silent' on the issue of DADT. She said, in recent years the Pentagon has made clear that 'this is Congress' law; we enforce the law.' She did not know how much consideration has been given to consideration of a veto by an administration that has been notoriously shy about exercising that prerogative, vetoing only two pieces of legislation over six years.
SPINNING HISTORY
Tauscher called DADT 'an intermediary process' and implied that the Clinton administration would have changed it if Democrats had retained control of Congress during the rest of his administration. That ignores the fact that the policy was passed while Democrats controlled both houses of Congress and, in fact was pushed by a Democrat, Sen. Sam Nunn, who served as chairman of the Armed Services Committee.
Left unsaid was that even though Democrats control the House, and have some Republican support for repeal, the support of many Democrats is questionable. Armed Services Committee chairman Ike Skelton, D-Mo., has indicated that he is content with the policy, even while acceding to the desire of some members for a hearing. It is not clear that he would even allow a vote on repeal within the committee.
'Every day the Department of Defense fires at least two service members simply because they are gay or lesbian,' said Greer. 'Tauscher is giving voice to those who help to defend our freedom and hope to every American who believes in our national promise of liberty and justice for all.'