SENATOR COLLINS' STATEMENT ON 'DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL'

The Senate Armed Services Committee today voted 16-12 in favor of an amendment to begin the process of a repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy contingent upon the findings of a Pentagon review, which is due in December.  Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Committee, released this statement:

"Society has changed a great deal since President Clinton signed the current law, Don't Ask/Don't Tell, back in 1993. I agree with Admiral Michael Mullen, our nation's highest ranking military official, that this law should be changed, but we should do so with care, taking into account the demands on our military forces, the challenges of instituting major policy changes during wartime, and the input provided by military leaders and personnel. The compromise proposal announced this week is contingent upon the results of a thorough review currently being conducted by the Pentagon, and would not go into effect until the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretary of Defense, and the President certify that the new policy would not have an adverse effect on military readiness, recruitment, and retention. This is a reasonable compromise."

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