| 00:00:02 | IS IMPORTANT, IS A PERSON IMPEDIMENT TO THE GOOD ORDER AND DISCIPLINE OF THE MILITARY, OF THE MILITARY'S MISSION, THAT IS IMPORTANT. |
| 00:00:12 | AND I HEARD THE SPEAKER SAY EARLIER IN ESSENCE, WE NEED TO ALLOW OR HONOR THE SERVICE OF ALL THOSE WHO WANT TO SERVE. |
| 00:00:16 | THAT IS NOT TRUE. |
| 00:00:17 | EVERY DAY PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SERVE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SERVE BECAUSE THEY WILL BE AN IMPEDIMENT. |
| 00:00:24 | WE HEARD THE LEADER TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER IN THIS BODY EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE HOMOSEXUALS IN THIS BODY. |
| 00:00:30 | THAT'S RIGHT. |
| 00:00:31 | THIS ISN'T THE MILITARY AND I CAN PROMISE YOU IF PEOPLE DID SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE BY MEMBERS OF THIS BODY THEY WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ALLOWED AND WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE SERVING IN THE MILITARY. |
| 00:00:44 | WE HAVE THAT MARGIN TO WORK WITH HERE IN THE MILL -- HERE. |
| 00:00:48 | IN THE MILITARY THERE IS THE MILITARY MISSION. |
| 00:00:50 | THERE IS NOT THAT MARGIN TO WORK WITH. |
| 00:00:52 | WE'RE TALKING LIFE AND DEATH. |
| 00:00:54 | NOW, WEEK OF HEARD, HOW DOES IT MAKE US SAFER TO LOSE THOUSANDS FROM THE MILITARY? |
| 00:01:02 | AND GOOD QUESTION. |
| 00:01:03 | BECAUSE THE HUNDREDS I'VE HEARD FROM THAT I DIDN'T BRING THEIR QUOTES DOWN HERE HAVE SAID, YOU PASS THIS AND I'LL TELL YOU PERSONALLY, BUT I WILL NOT SAY IT IN THE PRESENCE OF MY COMMANDER, YOU PASS THIS, I WILL NOT RE-ENLIST, I WON'T SAY IT PUBLICLY BECAUSE IT WILL AFFECT MY ASSIGNMENT AFTER THAT BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT THIS PRESIDENT, THIS COMMANDER IN CHIEF WANTS, JUST AS DOES THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, THE TWO PEOPLE THAT THE PRESIDENT APPOINTS SAID, LET'S DO IT, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE PRESIDENT APPOINTED, HE'S THEIR BOSS, AND ALL THOSE WHO DO NOT ANSWER DIRECTLY TO THE PRESIDENT, THEY'VE SAID, THIS IS A TERRIBLE IDEA. |
| 00:01:38 | YOU WANT AN RACKET POLL, TAKE ONE -- YOU WANT AN ACCURATE POLL, TAKE ONE WHERE MILITARY OFFICERS CAN ANSWER PRIVATELY WITH NO ABILITY OF THE COMMANDERS TO FIGURE OUT WHO ANSWERED WHERE. |
| 00:01:49 | AND LET'S FIND OUT HOW MANY THOUSANDS OR TENS OF THOUSANDS OR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS WE CAN LOSE WITH THIS ACTIVITY. |
| 00:01:55 | THAT'S IMPORTANT. NOW WE WERE TOLD, DON'T-ASK, DON'T-TELL IS INCONSISTENT WITH AMERICAN VALUES. |
| 00:02:00 | I WOULD SUBMIT THE MILITARY -- MR. |
| 00:02:04 | MCKEON: I YIELD THE GENTLEMAN AN ADDITIONAL MINUTE. |
| 00:02:07 | MR. |
Mr. GOHMERT. Mr. Speaker, we have had a number of questions asked. One question that we did not just hear that was expressed as important is, is a person an impediment to the good order and discipline of the military or the military's mission? That is important.
I heard the Speaker say earlier, in essence, we need to allow or honor the service of all those who want to serve. That is not true. Every day people who want to serve are not allowed to serve because they will be an impediment.
We heard the leader talk about how we can work together in this body, even though there are homosexuals in this body. That is right. This isn't the military, and I can promise you, if people did some of the things that have been done by Members of this body, they would never have been allowed and would not be allowed to continue serving in the military. We have that margin to work with here. In the military there is the military mission. There is not that margin to work with. We are talking life and death.
Now, we have heard, how does it make us safer to lose thousands from the military? A good question, because the hundreds I have heard from that I didn't bring their quotes down here have said, you pass this, and I will tell you personally, but I will not say it in the presence of my commander, you pass this, I will not reenlist. I won't say it publicly because it may affect my assignment after that, because we know what this President, this Commander in Chief wants, just as does the Secretary of Defense.
The two people that the President appoints said let's do it, because they know the President appointed them. He is their boss. And then all of those who do not answer directly to the President, they said this is a terrible idea.
You want an accurate poll? Take one where military members can answer privately, with no ability of the commanders to figure out who answered where. And then let's find out how many thousands or tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands we can lose with this activity. That is important.
Now, we were told Don't Ask, Don't Tell is inconsistent with American values.