A non-partisan GAO report last month detailed the fact that the military’s 12-year-old “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy costs taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and has a negative effect on military readiness.
Yesterday, Rep. Martin Meehan (D-Mass.) unveiled legislation to fix this nonsense. But instead of focusing on fairness or equality, Meehan chose a more politically salient path: we need to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to help the military.
A group of more than 50 House members filed a bill yesterday that would reverse the 12-year-old ”Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in uniform, arguing that the ban against them undermines national security at a time when the military is struggling to recruit soldiers. […]
”The policy is a proven failure,” said Representative Martin T. Meehan, a Lowell Democrat who is the bill’s lead sponsor. ”In a time of war, it’s outrageous that the military continues to discharge thousands of experienced, courageous, dedicated service members, with many of the critical skills that are needed in the war on terror, for reasons that have nothing to do with their conduct in uniform.”
This will be an up-hill climb, but Meehan clearly understands the politics here. He named his bill the “Military Readiness Enhancement Act.” Nothing about equal treatment, nothing about ending discrimination, just a measure to help improve military readiness during a time of war.
Indeed, it’s also worth noting that at Meehan’s event to unveil the bill, he didn’t include discharged soldiers who’d been treated unfairly by a misguided policy; he featured military leaders who oppose “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” for its adverse effect on the armed services.
In addition to 53 co-sponsors for his bill (including one Republican, Rep. Chris Shays of Connecticut), Meehan pointed to the support of military brass: Maj. Gen. Vance Coleman, U.S. Army, retired; Rear Adm. John Hutson, U.S. Navy, retired; Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy, U.S. Army, retired; Brig. Gen. Keith H. Kerr, Army, retired; Brig. Gen. Evelyn Foote, U.S. Army, retired; Brig. Gen. Virgil A. Richard, U.S. Army, retired; Maj. Gen. Charles Staff, U.S. Army Reserve, retired; Rear Adm. Alan M. Steinman, U.S. Coast Guard, retired.
Retired Army Brigadier General Evelyn Foote said the urgencies of a modern military demand that the best men and women serve, regardless of their sexual preferences.
”The issue is military readiness, not sexual orientation,” Foote said yesterday at a press conference arranged by Meehan’s office. ”It’s a critical way to begin bringing the military into the 21st century.”
Smart. It’s not about civil rights; it’s about a stronger military. It has nothing to do with preventing discrimination, and everything to do with improving military readiness. We’re not concerned about homophobia; we’re concerned about keeping highly-trained translators on job, screening intercepts that may include terrorist plots that could kill Americans. We’re not backed by gay rights advocates; we’re backed by decorated military officers.
For most congressional Republicans, the idea of allowing these troops to serve isn’t even up for consideration. But give Meehan a lot of credit — he’s not only pushing the right bill at the right time, he’s playing the politics perfectly.