“Today, the Military Personnel Subcommittee will turn its attention to an issue that has not been before this body in 15 years, the issue of gay men and women serving openly in the military.  At this time of war for our men and women in uniform, it has been asked why we would hold this hearing. 
 
 “Clearly, this subcommittee has a number of competing issues that need our attention and have received it.  That is why we pushed through needed measures in the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 and have held hearings on healthcare for our service members and their families, mental healthcare for those returning from war, and quality of life issues.  This afternoon, we are taking a closer look at yet another important issue impacting the men and women who serve. 
 
 “Since 1993, the Department of Defense has removed approximately 12,600 service members from the military under Section 654, Title 10 U.S. Code, commonly known as the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy.  With this policy comes the loss of service members with critical skills needed in the field right now, including much needed language expertise.  In my opinion, we must carefully review a policy that rejects otherwise well-suited individuals for military service.  This is especially true at a time when the military is trying to reduce the strain on our military by growing the force. 
 
 “Our purpose today is to begin a long overdue review of the various perspectives of this law and policy and to start a conversation about the real life impact on our service members, their families and the operational readiness of our military. 
 
 “This hearing is a bit different from the typical hearing conducted by this subcommittee.  With two very distinct and strongly held views of the law and policy, the subcommittee has worked very hard to ensure that both sides are afforded identical opportunities to present Congressional Members with the data and real life examples to support their perspectives. 
 
 “While the focus of the hearing is to provide a fair and balanced forum for debate, I think it is only fair to share my personal belief that the current policy should be repealed. 

 “I came to this position after talking with many service members, active duty, reserve and retired and concluded that the open service of gay men and women need not present an operational problem.  Many Americans who happen to be gay or lesbian want to answer our nation’s call to service, and allowing them to serve in an open and honest manner would uphold the ideals of military service.
 
 “I would like to enter into the record a statement from the Department of Defense regarding ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’  The Department will not be testifying today and has been hesitant to address the issue in open session.  I regret that the Department will not be here, since I believe that issues are likely to be raised where their experience could prove to be helpful.
 
 “However, when pressed to describe how they would respond to a change in the law, senior Department of Defense officials have indicated that they would comply fully with any new legislation, although they do not advocate in favor of changing the policy at this time.  Without objection, I ask that the Department of Defense statement be entered into the hearing record.
 
 “Because equity is the priority characteristic of this hearing, I would remind witnesses that I intend to strictly adhere to the time limits for opening statements.  Each side will be given 15 minutes to make their case. 
 
 “Before I turn to Mr. McHugh, I would like to extend my appreciation to those on both sides who have agreed to testify.  We all know that this is a very personal and emotional issue and we expect that everyone will be treated with the utmost respect.
 
 “Mr. McHugh, I yield to you for your opening comments.”