U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has introduced legislation aimed at reducing sexual assault in the military.
And Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York who briefly ran for president in 2019, has heaped praise on Iowa’s Republican U.S. Senators, Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, for their support in the legislation, which would move the authority for determining whether to prosecute a sexual assault allegation out of the chain of command, to an independent military prosecutor.
During a press conference Thursday in Washington, D.C., Gillibrand thanked Grassley and Ernst for their role in creating and advocating for the legislation, which after years in progress now has bipartisan support and advocates believe it could pass into law.
Gillibrand said Grassley has supported her effort for the entire eight years she has worked on the legislation, and said Ernst’s recent decision to support the bill is significant because of Ernst’s experience as both a military commander and a sexual assault survivor.
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“Because I’m a commander, I want to know that all of my troops are safe. Because I’m a sexual assault survivor, I want to know that survivors have an equal opportunity and a fair shot at receiving justice,” Ernst said during a phone interview shortly after Thursday’s press conference. “And I think what we have done is we have finally crafted a bill that will bring even the naysayers on board. …
“We have the best fighting force on our globe. And we have tremendous leaders. But there are also failures within the system. And this is what we're hoping we can correct.”
The most recent national defense report said nearly 21,000 U.S. service members were sexually assaulted in 2018.
Ernst had previously resisted supporting Gillibrand’s legislation. Ernst said she always kept an open mind about the bill, and has now decided to support it for myriad reasons: despite assurances from the federal defense department that they would address the issue, incidents of sexual assault in the military have not decreased; a damning, independent report on sexual assault at a U.S. Army base in Fort Hood, Texas; and her ability to help Gillibrand craft the latest version of the bill, which includes measures designed to focus on prevention.
“By the time we have a survivor and a perpetrator we have failed,” Ernst said during the press conference.
Multiple speakers during the press conference said they believe Ernst’s support for the bill will prove critical in finally getting it passed. Ernst said the plan is for the bill to be passed with the federal defense budget.
“I believe her voice and vote is what is going to make sure this passes,” said Don Christensen, president of the nonprofit advocacy group Protect Our Defenders.
Gillibrand also praised Grassley for supporting the effort while he served in leadership roles on the Senate’s judiciary committee.
“He was the earliest Republican leader who was willing from the beginning to take on the status quo and to demand justice for our service members, to build a military justice system that is worthy of the sacrifice,” Gillibrand said of Grassley. “We would not be here without his steadfast support over these last eight years.”
Titled the Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act, among the provisions in Gillibrand’s bill are measures that would, according to her office:
• move the decision of whether to prosecute serious crimes like rape, sexual assault, murder and others, to an independent military prosecutor. Commanders would be kept informed of any such allegations.
• increase and improve training and education on sexual assault in the military for all levels of service members, from new recruits to seasoned officers.
• require the U.S. defense secretary to review and improve the physical security of military installations, including locks and security cameras to increase safety for service members.