UPDATE @ 2:41 PM: Igor Volsky has a report (with video) on the first part of the hearing titled, Service Chiefs Testify They Have Not Run Into Problems In Implementing DADT Repeal:
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-CA) seemed taken aback this afternoon when the four chiefs of the armed forces testified that they had not run into any major problems in implementing the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.The Committee took a break for House votes. They'll be back.
Here's Igor's video:
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The House Armed Services Commmittee hearing, Testimony on Repeal of Law and Policies Governing Service of Openly Gay and Lesbian Service, started at 1 PM ET. The panel will hear from the four Service Chiefs: Army General Peter W. Chiarelli, Admiral Gary Roughead, USN, Marine Corps Commandant General James F. Amos and Air Force General Norton A. Schwartz, USAF. The hearing can be viewed online here.
Shortly before the hearing got underway, we got this statement from Servicemembers United's Alex Nicholson:
The House Armed Services Committee hearing on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' repeal today is another blatant waste of resources. Troops are more worried about seeing that a government shutdown does not happen so that they can still get paid next week than they are about the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy coming to an end. This issue has been settled, the Department of Defense has embraced this change, and trying to re-open this debate is a waste of both taxpayer money and the valuable time of these senior defense leaders in the midst of multiple overseas conflicts. The Joint Staff has made it clear that prior predictions of doom and gloom following repeal were misguided and that their respective services are more than capable of handling this change in policy.Alex is spot on. This is ridiculous.
Some Republicans want to repeal the repeal and are playing to their homophobic base. At this point, the only thing driving opposition to repeal of DADT is bigotry. That's it.
Servicemembers United (@DADT) and SLDN (@FreedomtoServe) are livetweeting the hearing.
