Pawlenty raises concerns over any changes to Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
Gov. Tim Pawlenty sent a letter to congressional leaders today raising concerns over the effort to change the military's "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy. The letter comes just days after President Obama and Democrats in Congress reached a deal that would repeal the 17-year-old federal law banning openly gay Americans from serving in the military.
In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Minority Leader John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Pawlenty wrote that changing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" would amount to a "major policy change."
"As you know, Guard units currently not only supplement active duty military units engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan, they also provide states with indispensable help in responding to domestic emergencies and natural disasters. The impacts upon Guard units and all military units need to be understood before any significant policy changes are decided.
It would be unwise for Congress to address this long-standing policy without the benefit of full hearings and the completion of the impact study being conducted by military leaders. I urge you to take no legislative action until the Department of Defense has completed its review and public hearings have been held to thoroughly discuss the findings."
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By writing the letter, Pawlenty is injecting himself into a national debate through his role as the head of the Minnesota National Guard. Pawlenty, who has not ruled out a run for the White House in 2012, could use this as a talking point in the coming days. He is scheduled to take part Thursday in an interview for NBC's Meet the Press at the U of M's Humphrey School.
Pawlenty isn't the only one expressing concern about any change to Don't Ask Don't Tell. The nation's military leaders are also urging Congress to wait until a review is completed. Opponents of the policy say it requires military service members to lie about their lifestyle in order to serve their nation.
DFL Rep. Al Juhnke, chair of the Minnesota House Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Finance Division, said he's never heard Minnesota National Guard members raise concerns about Don't Ask Don't Tell in his committee.
"The state just does what the federal government passes down. It appears to be political to me," Juhnke said of Pawlenty's letter.