Jim Webb: “I rise in support of the notion that we need to make adjustments to this policy, this don't ask, don't tell policy. I…”

“I rise in support of the notion that we need to make adjustments to this policy, this don't ask, don't tell policy. I say that after many years of thought and consideration and also in light of the analysis that has been provided by the Department of Defense to the Armed Services Committee, on which I sit. I would say to my friend from South Carolina, I take the points he has made about the concerns in small-unit cohesion and that has gone into the formula I have used myself in order to come to this conclusion. We need, first of all, to understand what this is and what it is not. The question is not whether there should be gays and lesbians in the military. They are already there. According to General Hamm, who conducted this extensive study, approximately the same percentage of the military is gay and lesbian as in our general population. The question is not about whether anyone should be able to engage in inappropriate conduct as a result of this policy, because we will not allow that and we will be very vigorous in our oversight of the Department of Defense to make sure that does not occur. The question is whether this policy, as it was enacted, works today in a way that, on the one hand, can protect small-unit cohesion or to sort that out and, on the other, allow people to live honest lives.”