JAG CENTRAL

Seven members of the House Armed Services Committee sent a formal letter ten days ago to the Chairman of the committee, Duncan Hunter (R) of California. The letter asks him to call hearings on the state of Congress's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy forbidding openly homosexual conduct from servicemembers. Note that all seven signatories of the letter are Democrats. According to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (an advocacy group for gay and lesbian servicemembers), 73 lawmakers, including 3 Republicans, are willing to vote for the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, a bill introduced a month ago that would repeal the ban on open homosexual conduct during service. No word from the Chairman's office on whether or not he will hold hearings.