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McCain’s Intolerance Trumps National Defense Funding

For those not familiar with the workings of the federal government, the fiscal year (FY) starts October 1st and runs until September 30th of every year.  Whether in business or in government, if you don’t have money, you can’t operate.  The US military is no different; without an approved National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), they have to get continuing authorizations to operate.  As of today, the Department of Defense still does not have an approved budget for FY 11, which starts October 1st, 2010.  The two bills that comprise the NDAA and, once approved in their final versions, will fund the next year’s operations of the DoD, are H.R. 5136 in the House, and S. 3454 in the Senate.  H.R. 5136 passed the vote of the full House on May 28th, 2010.  [The passage of H.R. 5136 was noteworthy because it included the provision for conditional repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell- the 17 year-old policy that treats gay, lesbian and bisexual military personnel as second-class servicemembers.  A similar amendment supporting conditional repeal of DADT is found in S. 3454.]  Congress is about to adjourn for its traditional August recess, planned to run from August 9th until September 10th, and the Senate still has not voted on its version of the NDAA.  Even after the Senate vote, differences in the two bills still need to be resolved in committee before the final bill gets anywhere near President Obama’s desk for signature.  As if the bureaucratic delays of Congress are not challenging enough, America’s maverick in the Senate, John McCain, showed today that his personal intolerances are more of a priority than funding the United States‘ national defense.

While combat operations are being covered by a supplemental war funding bill, the NDAA is still vital to numerous defense programs and operations.  As noted on govtrack.us, the NDAA is a “[B]ill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2011 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes.”  According to the Congressional Budget Office‘s cost estimate, the Senate’s version of the NDAA would authorize appropriations totaling $726 billion.  As noted in GLT News Now, though John McCain said at one point he did not plan to filibuster the NDAA, when Senator Harry Reid moved to bring up the NDAA after the August recess, Senator McCain strongly objected.  McCain’s objections to bringing forward the vote on the NDAA weren’t based on excessive spending, unnecessary programs or weapons, but on the possible right that gays and lesbians may one day be able to serve openly in defense of our nation.

On the Senate floor today, John McCain implied that the Senate version of the NDAA is going to repeal DADT before completion of the Pentagon survey and that placing the possible repeal of DADT in this bill compromised ‘legislation intended to ensure this nation’s security.’  Apparently Senator McCain feels the oppression and discrimination against an estimated tens of thousands of gay and lesbian servicemembers is better for our national defense than affording them equality in the eyes of their peers, with whom they are willing to lay down their lives.  McCain made reference in his remarks to a betrayal of the men and women serving this country in the passage of last year’s NDAA.  Somehow the Senator from Arizona fails to realize, or just doesn’t care, that his remarks are a betrayal to all those gays and lesbians who serve or served in uniform and who have sworn an oath to defend this nation and her constitution.  Rather than giving printed weight to McCain’s misrepresentations of the facts, please watch the video below and Senator Levin’s lucid response to the ramblings of the maverick.  In closing, allow me to leave you with Senator Harry Reid’s statement on Senator McCain’s latest notch in his headboard of hatred and intolerance:

“Apparently, Senator McCain is willing to block battlefield equipment upgrades and pay raises for our troops because he didn’t get his way in a committee hearing room. With his irresponsible obstruction of critical support for troops who sacrifice for our country every day, Senator McCain seems more interested in political grandstanding than protecting our men and women on the battlefield.  Our troops deserve better.”