Top Democrat Opposes DADT Repeal

Rep. Ike Skelton, one of the top Congressional Democrats on military policy said Friday that he would oppose the repeal of the ban on openly gay service members.

Skelton said on the C-SPAN show, Newsmakers, which will air Sunday, that he is "personally not for changing the law," according to The Hill newspaper. He added that changing the law would create a "disruption" amidst the wars in Afghanistan in Iraq.

Skelton, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, was a pivotal player in the controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy being enacted in 1993. When President Bill Clinton wanted to completely lift the ban on gays openly serving in the military, Skelton staunchly opposed it. From the opposition came the compromised, "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

As reported earlier, Senate Democrat Carl Levin of Michigan said that he is working to schedule hearings on "don't ask, don't tell."