The Senate Armed Services Committee has set aside next Thursday and Friday (Dec. 2-3) for hearings on the Pentagon's much-anticipated report on the impact of repealing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on military readiness.
The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, has written that the report will likely say there is minimal impact if Congress repeals the ban prohibiting gays and lesbians from serving openly in the armed forces. Gates was upset by the leak and has launched an investigation on who gave details to the newspaper.
Pentagon counsel Jeh Johnson and Gen. Carter Ham, co-chairmen of the Pentagon working group studying impact of repeal, will also testify next Thursday. The leaders of each military branch will speak on the second day. Gen. James Amos, the Marine Corps commandant, has been outspoken about wanting to keep the policy intact.
Republicans, led by Sen. John McCain, blocked attempts to repeal the policy before the midterm elections. Fresh from his re-election victory, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid promised to hold another vote along with hearings sought by McCain.
Reid and his fellow Democrats would need help from moderate Republicans such as Sen. Susan Collins of Maine to get past another filibuster.
(Posted by Catalina Camia)
No comments:
Post a Comment