GOP Lawmakers Pledge to Fight Gays-in-Military Plan

Congressional Republicans, responding to President Clinton’s plan to ease restrictions on homosexuals serving in the military, vowed Saturday to fight the new policy that the White House plans to announce this week “with every ounce of energy.”

Delivering the GOP response to Clinton’s weekly radio address, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-El Cajon) asserted that the “don’t ask, don’t tell” compromise crafted by Defense Secretary Les Aspin would still “destroy our military” by undermining its “wholesome environment.”

White House officials said they expected Clinton to announce the policy change on Monday or Tuesday after a final review by the Justice Department to determine its legality. But while the officials expressed optimism that the plan will hold up in court, congressional opposition could still cloud its fate.

Lawmakers on both sides of the issue are criticizing the plan--for either going too far or not far enough--and conservative Democrats, joined by Republicans, may try to override the changes by enacting a more restrictive version of the plan into law.

Gay-rights activists in Congress said they are also unhappy with the compromise because, while easing some existing restrictions slightly, it would still allow commanders to discharge soldiers if they are discovered to be gay.

Hunter did not indicate how Republicans planned to fight the policy change, which would end the current practice of asking military recruits to disclose their sexual orientation before joining the armed forces.

But Congress is expected to hold hearings on the changes soon after they are announced, and Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), the conservative chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has served notice that he will introduce legislation to codify his own version of a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy into law.

Congressional analysts said the key to fending off a Republican challenge to any relaxation of the current ban on gays would depend on how strongly the Joint Chiefs of Staff support the Aspin-brokered compromise. If the military leadership decidedly supports the deal, “then that should bring along enough conservative Democrats” to prevent a Republican challenge from succeeding, one congressional aide said.

While the Aspin compromise has been at least informally endorsed by the Joint Chiefs, several undecided congressmen have indicated that they will support the changes only if they are sure that the military leadership is on board.

Hunter, pressing the Republican opposition, referred to earlier criticisms of Clinton’s proposal to lift the ban voiced by retired Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, the military commander who became a hero to Americans for his leadership of the allied coalition in the Gulf War.

“Once American families believe that the military is no longer a wholesome environment, they will no longer send their children to serve. And as Gen. Schwarzkopf says, the military we know and respect will be destroyed,” he said.

Although the Aspin compromise falls far short of Clinton’s campaign pledge to lift the ban on gays, officials Friday said that gay and lesbian soldiers could continue serving provided they kept their homosexuality secret and did not engage in homosexual conduct on or off base.