Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 21, 1993 TAG: 9307210164
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
In three hours of questioning by skeptical senators, Aspin was pressed repeatedly to explain what they saw as inconsistencies in the policy, and members of the Senate Armed Services Committee wondered aloud about its impact.
"This has to be pinned down," an exasperated Sen. Sam Nunn said after Aspin offered a lengthy response to the question of whether the military could investigate a soldier who merely told another he was gay.
"We can't have a commander out there saying, `What do I do?' and somebody says, `Call the attorney general,' " said Nunn, the committee's chairman.
Sen. John Warner, R-Va., said the policy makes an unrealistic request that homosexuals remain celibate for their entire military careers. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., called the rules "fodder for legal challenges."
Tuesday's hearing was designed to launch a congressional review of Clinton's policy, which he outlined Monday after six months of negotiations designed to take into account the objections of critics in Congress and the Pentagon.
Clinton, in an interview with journalists from Wisconsin, said homosexuals in the military "are much better off today because we took an honorable compromise."
The president heatedly denied that the new policy betrayed political weakness. "It may be a sign of madness, sir, but it is not a sign of weakness," he snapped.
Gen. Colin Powell, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the committee that he was "in full support of the president's policy" and that it would allow the military to carry out its mission.
"I believe this is the right answer," said Powell, who described the policy as removing "an element of uncertainty" that has existed for the armed services.
But Aspin acknowledged it would continue to discourage homosexuals from joining.
Under questioning from committee members, he also said the policy would make few changes to the regulation that existed when Clinton took office.
"If a person is homosexual, they would be much more comfortable pursuing another profession than the military," Aspin said.
Still, he described the president's plan as progress for homosexuals who want to be in the armed forces. "The policy before was `don't tell.' What's new is `don't ask' and `don't pursue,"' Aspin said.
Earlier Tuesday, White House counselor George Stephanopoulos said the policy "will be to leave homosexuals alone as long as they're acting privately."
"It will create a zone of privacy for gays in the military," Stephanopoulos said on ABC.
Aspin said the policy's language allowing a service member to rebut an allegation of homosexuality is in the current regulation. So is the wording "a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts."
Nunn said Congress would have the final say on the issue.
by CNB