Exclusive: White House Responds to Gates DADT Letter

BY Kerry Eleveld

April 30 2010 7:40 PM ET

In response to a letter by Defense secretary Robert Gates to House Armed Services Committee chairman Ike Skelton warning Congress against a legislative repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" this year, a White House spokesman has issued the following statement to The Advocate:

"The President's commitment to repealing "don't ask, don't tell" is unequivocal. This is not a question of if, but how. That's why we've said that the implementation of any congressional repeal will be delayed until the DOD study of how best to implement that repeal is completed. The President is committed to getting this done both soon and right."

The letter, obtained Friday by the Associated Press, warned that legislative repeal prior to the completion of a DOD study "would send a very damaging message to our men and women in uniform that in essence their views, concerns, and perspectives do not matter."

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