9/21/10

Today, the Senate plans to vote on whether to begin debate on the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).  The NDAA is crucial to the nation's defense, as it provides the budget and policy guidelines for key national security priorities, such as military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, actions against terrorism and efforts to combat the spread of nuclear weapons.  It also provides crucial authorization for pay and health benefits to the men and women of the military who are serving in harm's way.  Yet despite the essential role that this legislation plays in securing our country and guiding the nation's military activities for the coming year, conservatives have threatened to filibuster the bill because it contains a provision repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT).  The repeal of DADT is a position that has the broad support of military leaders, experts and veterans.  Also a source of the opposition is the majority's desire to debate the bipartisan DREAM Act as part of the bill, which is a normal procedure often used in the Senate.  So while Senate conservatives use bogus arguments by claiming that they oppose the bill because of non-pertinent amendments, the nation's military suffers.  This sort of hypocritical politicking and obstruction doesn't stand the test of scrutiny, contradicts precedents set by these same conservatives and prevents a legitimate policy debate from taking place on the Senate floor, undercutting America's defense while we are facing multiple threats abroad.

Conservatives threaten filibuster of defense authorization, jeopardizing America's national security.  The Wall Street Journal writes today that "The annual defense authorization bill contains $725 billion for the Pentagon, a pay increase for service members, and a repeal of the ‘don't ask, don't tell' policy that bars open [homosexuals from serving in the military] comes up for a key vote in the Senate today." The Washington Post reports that the measure includes "repeal of the ‘don't ask, don't tell' law, which bans gays from serving openly in the armed forces." Also included is the DREAM Act that would legalize the status of illegal immigrants who were brought here as small children and "who attend college or join the military."

However, "supporters of the current policy say they will try to filibuster military defense policy legislation that allows the repeal," writes the New York Times' the Caucus.  "Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), the leading Republican on military issues, opposes repealing the ‘Don't ask, don't tell' law banning gays from serving openly in the military, and also argues the DREAM Act should not be added to the defense bill," reports The Hill.  The Post says that, the vote "is almost certain to pass if Democrats can break a Republican-led filibuster."

By threatening to filibuster the defense bill, Sen. McCain and other conservatives are blocking an important vote that will provide vital national security budget and policy guidance.  As Andy Johnson, former Staff Director of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and current Director of National Security at Third Way writes, "The GOP's choice [to filibuster] is not without peril. First, a successful Republican effort to kill the bill could jeopardize continuing operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as the United States' ability to foil terrorist attacks and combat the spread of nuclear weapons. Blocking it would also deny pay and health benefits increases for men and women in uniform and their families."  [WS Journal, 9/21/10. NY Times, 9/21/10. The Hill, 9/20/10. Washington Post, 9/20/10. Andy Johnson, Politico, 9/21/10.

For the sake of our national security, it is past time to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" - a point understood even by those who now oppose lifting the ban. A deep, bipartisan consensus among current and retired military leaders argues strongly for lifting the restrictions that keep brave men and women serving in the military from being open about their sexual orientation. In February, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen stated: "It is my personal belief that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would be the right thing to do." Mullen is joined by other retired admirals and generals, including former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Generals Colin Powell and John Shalikashvili.  In addition, an overwhelming 73 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans say it is "personally acceptable to them if gay and lesbian people were allowed to serve openly in the military," according to a survey conducted by the VetVoice Foundation.  Lifting the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is crucial to removing unnecessary impediments that harm military effectiveness.  A Center for American Progress study found that the policy keeps thousands of men and women who have held "critical occupations," such as interpreters and engineers; has cost the military hundreds of millions of dollars; and sends the wrong message to those who wish to serve in the U.S. military.  And as NSN Senior Advisor Major General Paul Eaton (ret.) said, "In a firefight, bottom line, Soldiers and Marines don't think about sexual orientation.  They are thinking survival for themselves, their mates and the mission.  That is a stark priority, and our legislators would be well served to adopt that approach."

Yet despite the support for lifting the ban and the clear benefits to our security, conservative ideologues have insisted on turning it into a political issue. In an op-ed for the Washington Times, Center for National Security Policy President Frank Gaffney said that lifting the ban would "break the military."  Ironically, and despite his current protests, only four years ago John McCain called for a lifting of this policy.  In 2006 he said that "The day that the leadership of the military comes to me and says, 'Senator, we ought to change the policy,' then I think we ought to consider seriously changing it."  The military's leadership has said that, but Sen. McCain still says no. [Adm. Michael Mullen, via Washington Post, 2/3/10. Gen. Colin Powell, 2/3/10. Gen. John Shalikashvili, 1/27/10. VetVoice Foundation, 3/17/10.Frank Gaffney, 9/20/10. Sen. John McCain, via the Washington Post, 2/3/10. Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton (Ret), 9/21/10]

Senate conservatives ignore their own history on amendments to the defense bill, hiding behind procedural excuses to block debate. While Senate conservatives have accused the majority's leadership of placing "non-pertinent" amendments onto the defense authorization bill, it is clear that this charge highlights nothing more than conservatives' own hypocrisy. According to the Huffington Post, Sen. McCain "had insisted that in year's past, Republicans ‘didn't allow' extraneous items to be tacked on to such bills... But for all the griping about what amendments have or haven't been added to the DoD Authorization, the fact remains that these appropriations measures have long been vehicles for unrelated legislation," often introduced by conservatives. The Huffington Post notes: "McCain himself would know that. As Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) noted right after he spoke on the floor, the Senate had previously considered hate crimes legislation in 2001, 2005, and 2008. McCain himself ‘offered a non-relevant amendment to the defense authorization bill,' Levin added, proposing ‘to acquire campaign finance disclosure by the so-called 527 organizations as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization.' Meanwhile, as a Democratic source following the debate on the Hill noted, back in 2005, then Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) and House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) managed to attach a provision granting immunity for companies manufacturing vaccines to protect against biological agents to a FY2006 DoD appropriations bill." [Huffington Post, 9/20/10]

What We're Reading

North Korea's ruling party will hold its first conference in a generation on Sept. 28, state media reports say, amid speculation that leader Kim Jong-Il is about to name his youngest son as his successor.

Two Honduran diplomats were briefly kidnapped in Mexico this past weekend by a presumed drug gang, prompting Honduras to warn Mexico that it might close several consulates there if Mexico can't provide adequate security for diplomats.

Nine NATO soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan, making 2010 the deadliest year for the U.S.-led international force in Afghanistan.

The Arab states of the Gulf have embarked on one of the largest re-armament exercises in peacetime history, ordering U.S. weapons worth some $123 billion as they seek to counter Iran's military power.

Somalia's prime minister resigned after months of turmoil with the country's president, saying their infighting had become a "security vulnerability."

Ireland sold $2 billion worth of government bonds in a closely watched test of whether international investors would keep buying Irish treasuries despite the country's deficit.

Children fathered by foreign al Qaeda fighters in Iraq aren't being recognized as Iraqi citizens.

Tajikistan blamed Islamic militants, some with ties to Afghanistan and Pakistan, for an assault on a military convoy that killed at least 23 soldiers in the nation over the weekend.

Thousands of people have staged a protest in Sweden's capital, Stockholm, against the election to parliament of 20 members of a far-right party.

Japan today warned that a deepening row over its detention of a Chinese fishing boat captain should not be allowed to fuel "extreme nationalism" on either side.

Commentary of the Day

Ashton Carter says the Pentagon is serious about saving money.

Thomas McNamara writes that we can learn valuable lessons by recognizing the parallels between the drug wars in Colombia and Mexico.

Stephen Castle analyzes the implications of the Swedish elections, which he calls an "earthquake in Swedish politics."