Secretary Of Defense Chuck Hagel & Wife Send Holiday Greeting Which Includes Gay Sailor's Proposal

A holiday video greeting from outgoing Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and his wife Lilibet to the men and women of the Defense Department includes, among many photos of service members, a pic of a sailor proposing to his boyfriend.

I believe this is the first time a gay couple has been included in the Defense Secretary's holiday greeting.

Thanks to the Hagels. It's moments like this that make a difference over time.

(via Huffington Post)

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel orders "rogue" states to follow federal guidelines and treat gay & lesbian military equally

While speaking at the Anti-Defamation League on Thursday night, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel addressed the rogue states which are refusing to issue spousal benefits at their National Guard facilities, saying their actions are wrong, hurt the military, and further prejudice.

South Carolina, Texas, Indiana, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and West Virginia are the states that are not in compliance with the Pentagon orders.

Here are Hagel's remarks, via the White House:

When the Supreme Court issued its decision on the Defense of Marriage Act this summer, the Department of Defense immediately began working on providing the same benefits to all eligible spouses, regardless of sexual orientation. We did it because everyone who serves our country in uniform, everyone in this country, should receive all the benefits they deserve, and they've earned, and in accordance with the law. Everyone's rights must be protected.

This means that all spouses of service members are entitled to DoD ID cards, and the benefits that come with them. But several states today are refusing to issue these IDs to same-sex spouses at National Guard facilities. Not only does this violate the states' obligations under federal law, but their actions have created hardship and inequality by forcing couples to travel long distances to federal military bases to obtain the ID cards they're entitled to.

This is wrong. It causes division among our ranks, and it furthers prejudice, which DoD has fought to extinguish, as has the ADL.

Today, I directed the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, General Frank Grass, to take immediate action to remedy this situation. At my direction, he will meet with the Adjutants General from the states where these ID cards are being declined and denied. The Adjutants General will be expected to comply with both lawful direction and DoD policy, in line with the practices of 45 other states and jurisdictions.

Whether they are responding to natural disasters here at home, in their states, or fighting in Afghanistan, our National Guardsmen all wear the uniform of the United States of America. They are serving this country. They – and their families – are entitled to all the benefits and respect accorded to all of our military men and women.

(via Towleroad)

Impact of DOMA decision - Extending federal benefits to service members and families

In response to the repeal of DOMA today, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says the Pentagon will extend health care, housing, and additional federal benefits to the gay spouses of service members as soon as possible, the AP reports:

Defense officials estimate there are 18,000 same-sex couples in the active duty, National Guard and Reserves. It's unclear how many of those are married.

The court ruling also could allow same-sex spouses to be buried at Arlington Cemetery. The Pentagon has said that by Oct. 1, it would extend a variety of benefits to same-sex partners, including access to on-base commissaries and some health and welfare programs.

Breaking: US Senate votes to break filibuster of Hagel nomination

From ThinkProgress: The Senate on Tuesday voted to break the Republican-led filibuster of Chuck Hagel’s nomination to become the next Secretary of Defense, clearing the way for his confirmation.

Senate Republicans made history earlier this month by successfully filibustering a president’s Defense Secretary nominee for the first time in U.S. history.

But a number of Republicans who voted to uphold the filibuster joined Democrats in breaking the filibuster on Tuesday.

Overall, 18 Republicans voted for cloture, which ultimately passed by a vote of 71-27.

According to Senate rules, a final up-or-down vote on Hagel’s nomination will take place no later than 30 hours from today’s cloture vote. Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) said today that he hopes the vote will take place later on this afternoon.

Read more at ThinkProgress

US Senate: GOP Senators make history, first to filibuster Sec. of Defense nominee

In what is truly an ironic twist, GOP US Senate members are filibustering the nomination of Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense over concerns of "national security" that have nothing to do with Chuck Hagel.

From Think Progress:

Senate Republicans today chose to uphold a filibuster against Secretary of Defense nominee Chuck Hagel, despite many of them previously pledging that they would be willing to allow him to be confirmed.

Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), and John Cornyn (R-TX) all voted against cloture, despite their pleas during the Bush administration that a president’s Cabinet nominees should receive an up-or-down vote.

Four Republicans, Sens. Thad Cochran (R-MS), Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Mike Johanns (R-NE), voted to break the filibuster. The final vote was 58-40, with Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) voting present, Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) not voting at all, and Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) voting “no” as a procedural move so that he can bring another vote to the floor at a later date.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) had originally scheduled the cloture vote for tomorrow morning, but surprised many by pushing it up to this afternoon. Earlier today, Reid took to the Senate floor to lambaste his Republican colleagues for delaying an up-or-down vote on Hagel, the first filibuster of a Secretary of Defense nominee.

Just so I'm seeing this clearly - the Republican senators are concerned about national security, so they decided to block having a Secretary of Defense based on nothing he's done?

Do I have this right?

Hey Americans - you feel safer now?

Sec. of Defense nominee Chuck Hagel supports equal benefits for gay/lesbian service members

"I fully support the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 and value the service of all those who fight for our country. I know firsthand the profound sacrifice our service members and their families make, and if confirmed as Secretary of Defense, I will do everything possible to the extent permissible under current law to provide equal benefits to the families of all our service members." - Chuck Hagel, in a letter to Sen. Barbara Boxer.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin on Chuck Hagel nomination for Secretary of Defense

Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) appeared on Andrea Mitchell Reports today to speak about the Chuck Hagel nomination as Defense Secretary and the pushback it has received from some LGBT rights advocates.

Said Baldwin:

“I do not know Chuck Hagel...I do want to speak with him, particularly about his comments 14 years ago, to see if his apology is sincere and sufficient. I want to hear how he’s evolved on this issue in the the last 14 years because the significance to the post to which he's been nominated is the respect for now openly gay members of the military who because of the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell can serve openly and we need to see that implemented successfully..."

President Obama nominates former Sen. Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense

President Obama has officially nominated former Sen. Chuck Hagel to replace outgoing Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta.

Ironically, there are already opponents to the nomination from both the right and left sides of the political spectrum.

From the L.A. Times: "Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina predicted that Hagel would be “the most antagonistic secretary of Defense toward the state of Israel in our nation’s history” and called his pick by President Obama an “in-your-face nomination.” And Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, while promising that Hagel would get a “fair hearing,” said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he would get “tough questions” in a confirmation process."

The Log Cabin Republicans have taken out their second full-page ad, this time in the Washington Post, attacking Hagel on his gay rights record. The ad also addresses Hagel's recent apology for anti-gay remarks, calling it "too little, too late."  See the first one, from the NYT, here.

Army veteran and OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Allyson Robinson issued the following statement today:

“Senator Hagel is an exceptionally qualified nominee for Secretary of Defense and we believe, if confirmed, he will be an effective leader for the Pentagon. Significant challenges remain for LGBT service members and their families, however, and it’s long overdue that our Secretary address those challenges.

"Our message to the next Secretary of Defense would be the same, no matter who was nominated and confirmed. A commitment to support LGBT service members and their families must be a commitment to action. It’s past time to extend all benefits available to married same-sex military couples and families while the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is still on the books. It’s past time to put in place military equal opportunity and nondiscrimination protections so that all qualified Americans who wish to serve this nation in uniform may do so without fear of harassment or discrimination. We look forward in the weeks ahead to discussing these and other issues important to LGBT service members and their families with Senator Hagel and his designees, and to working with him should he be confirmed to create equitable conditions for all those who serve our nation so bravely in uniform.”

Chuck Hagel apologizes for anti-gay remarks with Sec. of Defense nomination looming

Back in 1998, then-Senator Chuck Hagel had some choice anti-gay words for James Hormel, who was nominated to be Ambassador to Luxembourg.

Here's a sample of Mr. Hagel's thoughts at the time: “Ambassadorial posts are sensitive.  They are representing America. They are representing our lifestyle, our values, our standards. And I think it is an inhibiting factor to be gay — openly, aggressively gay, like Mr. Hormel — to do an effective job.”

Now, years later, as Hagel looks to be the leading candidate for Secretary of Defense, Hagel is "cleaning up his history" a bit to look somewhat better. He has now - 14 years later - apologized for those remarks of 1998.

Here's his recent statement:

“My comments 14 years ago in 1998 were insensitive. They do not reflect my views or the totality of my public record, and I apologize to Ambassador Hormel and any LGBT Americans who may question my commitment to their civil rights. I am fully supportive of ‘open service’ and committed to LGBT military families.”

James Hormel, the man who would be apologized to, says he has not heard from Mr. Hagel.