WASHINGTON, D.C. — There’s a renewed push in Congress to overhaul how the U.S. military handles serious crimes like rape.
What You Need To Know
- Legislation to change how military justice is conducted has broad support
- Rep. Turner led a bipartisan, bicameral press conference Wednesday about it
- The Senate version has been stuck in limbo, despite enough senators endorsing it
- Rep. Turner is hoping the House version will build momentum
At a time when Washington is so divided, Democrats and Republicans united Wednesday behind major legislation.
“Today we do what all of America calls for and wants,” Rep. Mike Turner (R, OH-10) said at a press conference.
The measure would transform how the military handles serious crimes committed within its ranks by shifting the decision whether to prosecute from commanders to independent military prosecutors.
Lawmakers calling for change, like Turner, said commanders have a track record of ignoring legitimate claims.
“When we have a system that fails victims, everyone is failed because everyone is a potential victim,” Turner said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attended Wednesday’s press conference, which underscored the bill’s bipartisan backing.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York), who was also there, has been pushing similar legislation in the Senate for years.
“When the commanders say, ‘We got this, ma’am, we got this,’ they don’t have it,” Gillibrand said.
Gillibrand recently hit a new roadblock, despite having the support of enough senators to pass the bill.
Sen. Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island), who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, has objected each time Gillibrand has tried bringing the bill straight to the floor for a vote.
Reed supports some reforms, but has not endorsed the legislation. He said he wants it to go through the regular committee process, while Gillibrand argues that isn’t necessary.
On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made news when he became the first Pentagon leader to support removing the chain of command, but only for sexual assault cases.
Gillibrand said her broader legislation, which would also target crimes like murder and child pornography, will not be altered.
“This is the bill that we intend to pass in Congress,” she said at the press conference.
The family of Vanessa Guillén, a soldier who was sexually harassed and murdered by another solider, urged Congress to act.
The legislation is named the Vanessa Guillén Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act (MJIIPA).
“The system that we have now failed my sister, Specialist Vanessa Guillén, so it’s up to us to change that,” her sister said.
Despite having bipartisan support, it’s unclear when this bill will become law.
The House hasn’t scheduled a vote, and Gillibrand is pledging to keep trying to get it passed in the Senate without having to go through the committee process.
