Republicans Don't Appear Likely to Reinstate DADT

Even if Mitt Romney wins the White House, it doesn't look like Republicans will try to reinstate the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

The Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee echoed this week what Romney said on the campaign trail -- that what to do about DADT has already been settled even if he opposed the outcome.

"We fought that fight," said Rep. Buck McKeon, according to the Associated Press. McKeon said that while other Republicans might support reinstating the policy, which was repealed by Congress and President Obama in 2010, it's not something he'd pursue. And McKeon would have a lot of sway over that question as chairman.

In the Senate, where Republicans are still in the minority, Sen. John McCain of Arizona is the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee. McCain staunchly opposed repeal of DADT, but Steve Clemons of The Washington Note reports that the former GOP presidential nominee has also signaled the law shouldn't again be changed.

Romney came out in support of gays serving openly in the military during an interview with the editorial board of The Des Moines Register in December.

"I'm not planning on reversing that at this stage," he said -- which was a reversal of his own. Romney had previously said DADT should remain in place. But circumstances had changed, he told them. "I was not comfortable making the change during a period of conflict, due to the complicating features of a new program in the middle of two wars going on, but those wars are winding down, and moving in that direction at this stage no longer presents that problem."