The repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is almost dead. Unless Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid — who kept his Senate seat and will likely keep his Majority Leader seat — schedules a vote in this lame duck Congress, it is clear that the new Congress will not take up the measure.
The new Republican Chair of the House’s Armed Services Committee, Howard “Buck†McKeon (R-CA), has already stated he will not allow Democrats’ “social agenda” to get in his way. Calling repeal of the discriminatory and unconstitutional law “unwise,” in the lame duck session, as the President suggested, McKeon told Reuters,
“You know, we had a process in place. We have a study that has been undertaken. People have been hired, they have done a lot of interviews. I have not seen the study yet. It was supposed to come back in December. Now, I really would like to see that before any effort is made to push this thing through. I think that something as disruptive as that could potentially be in the military, and figuring all of these people that have lost their elections that would be making that kind of a decision, I just think that’s not a wise (move)… Because I think the only reason they’re trying to do it is political. And I don’t think the military should be used as a political football.”
Think Progress’ Igor Volsky adds, “In a statement released yesterday, McKeon said, “Republicans on both sides of the Capitol aisle are committed to passing a National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 that is not weighed down by the current majority’s social agenda items,†a reference to the DADT compromise amendment offered by Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA).”
“During a conference call yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said he would try to move the bill once the Senate comes back to session later this month. “The problem we have with a defense authorization bill is that it takes a while to get it done,†he said. “If we could get some agreement from the Republicans that we could move the bill without a lot of extraneous amendments, I think it is something we can work out. Time agreements on a few amendments, that would be my goal.â€
Bottom line: The Senate must repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” before the next Congress begins in January, or repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” will be lost until Democrats take back the House. And even then…
(Image: Congressman Mckeon poses with former eBay CEO and former California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman, via his website.)