Congressman will
push for end to military's gay ban

Gay Democratic congressman Barney Frank, set to lead the House Financial Services Committee when the Democrats take back Congress in January, said along with a plan to increase the minimum wage he intends to push for a modification of the military's antigay ''don't ask, don't tell'' policy. The current policy prohibits officials from inquiring about the sex lives of service members and requires discharges of those who acknowledge being gay.

''One of things I do want to address, yes, is discrimination based on sexual orientation,'' Frank said on Fox News Sunday. ''In fact, what we have is a shortfall in the military. I think when you have people being fired who can read Arabic and understand Arabic, because of what they do when they're off duty, that that's a grave error. But that's not what we're going to begin with.''

A report in 2005 by the investigative arm of Congress estimated it cost the Pentagon around $200 million to recruit and train replacements for the nearly 9,500 troops that had to leave the military because of the ban on openly gay personnel. The losses included hundreds of highly skilled troops, including translators, from 1994 to 2003. (AP)