Social Policy & Politics Program | Memo
Pentagon Working Group Report Makes the Case for Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal
For the past year, Congress, the Administration, and the Pentagon leadership have been engaged in a detailed discussion about the future of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Moderate Americans have one overarching concern on this issue: ensuring that our armed forces are focused on their mission of protecting the nation and defeating terrorism. The release of the Pentagon Working Group’s report confirms that the best way to minimize disruption to our fighting force is for Congress to repeal the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law before the end of this year, rather than allowing the debate to languish. As Defense Secretary Gates said at the release of the Working Group report, “Given the present circumstances, those that choose not to act legislatively are rolling the dice that this policy will not be abruptly overturned by the courts.” This memo lays out the three reasons that legislative action this year is crucial to achieving an orderly transition to a new personnel policy.
