Congressman wants Obama to set timeline to end 'Don't ask, don't tell'

A Florida congressman wrote Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Wednesday, asking Gates and President Barack Obama to establish a timeline to eliminate the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy for members of the military.

Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), the vice chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, asked the Obama administration to set up a date by which the U.S. would phase out its ban on gay and lesbian soldiers serving in the military.

"While President Obama has indicated his desire to have Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repealed, Congress has yet to receive indication from the Executive that it is ready to proceed with a repeal process that requires leadership on all fronts," Hastings wrote Gates on Wednesday. "I strongly urge you to ensure the swift and overdue end of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell by working together with the Obama administration and Congress to establish a timeline, beginning now, within which to repeal the law and implement a policy of inclusion and non-discrimination."

Hastings has been a longtime advocate of repealing the current policy toward gay and lesbian servicemembers, a repeal which the president has said he also favors -- in due course.

Coupled with its arguments on behalf of the Defense of Marriage Act in federal court, the Obama administration has drawn some ire from the gay and lesbian community over a perceived delay in acting on certain policy priorities.

The president will look to reassure supporters on those issues when he speaks this weekat the annual dinner of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the largest advocacy group for LGBT Americans.

"I am extremely proud of all the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces and truly appreciate the countless sacrifices that they continue to make every single day to protect this nation and the American people," Hastings wrote Gates. "Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to your response."