June 27, 2013
Dear Friends,
I am writing you today to thank all of you for your courage and perseverance. It has been an honor to fight alongside of you; I have been humbled by your strength. Unfortunately, rape and sexual assault in our Armed Forces won’t go away soon, or without great effort. The sheer volume of letters I’ve received from you is both heartbreaking and infuriating. But, these letters and testimonials have fueled my commitment to not give up until the system is fixed.
I want to express my eternal gratitude to those of you who have shared your stories, your emotions, your fears, and your hopes. As someone who has lived through trying times, I know how hard it is to dredge up painful memories. With your help, I have told 25 MST survivor stories on the House floor since the spring of 2011. I’ve interviewed numerous victims and have called on Congress and the Administration to come to grips with this sprawling epidemic.
There’s a legislative side to this, of course. Part of what we are demanding is a culture change within the military. Education and training may play a part in that, but it will come largely through reforms that protect and empower victims. I want to take this opportunity to update you on my amendments in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). All of the amendments listed below were adopted by vote in the House Armed Services Committee (HASC):
- Military Character Disposition Authority – This amendment prevents a Convening Authority from not charging an individual of rape or sexual assault based on the good military character of the individual. It has been common for commanders to not charge assailants or offer non-judicial punishment to them because they were viewed in some way as “good soldiers”.
- Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner – This amendmentrequires that all brigades in our military have an individual who is a certified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. This individual would be qualified to care for victims of sexual assault and have the skills to administer rape kits.
- Stripping Commander’s Ability to Lessen Sentences – Thisamendment precludes the convening authority from lessening a sentence after a judge or jury has sentenced an individual.
- DOD Inspector General Study on Discharges – This amendmentrequires the DOD Inspector General to investigate all unrestricted reports of sexual assaults made by members of the Armed Forces where the members were subsequently separated from the Armed Forces. The Inspector General will be required to investigate the circumstances of and grounds for such a separation and if policies and procedures were followed.
- Victims’ Rights – This amendmentprovides service members who are victims of crimes the same basic rights given to civilian victims, such as reasonable protection from the accused, the right to be treated with fairness, and respect for the victim’s dignity and privacy.
Several other amendments by my colleagues were accepted. They establish mandatory minimums for sexual offenses, provide legal assistance to victims of sex-related offenses, and require improved training for all military and civilian attorneys involved in sex-related cases.
As you can see, these amendments work towards creating a balance in the military justice system. Right now, victims face an uphill battle to justice because of structural problems in handling cases of sexual assault. We need to be protecting victims in their time of need, not protecting those who commit these horrible acts.
I believe that removing sexual assault cases from the chain of command is the one and only solution. Until that happens, we know some in the military aren’t truly committed to eradicating this serious problem. I give you my word: I will not stop fighting until this is accomplished. My bill, the STOP Act, H.R. 1593, takes sexual offenses out of the chain of command and has 146 cosponsors at this time. You are not alone in this fight.
Finally, I want to leave you with a story that absolutely broke my heart. Last week, I received a letter from Julie, a MST survivor. She wrote to express her frustration at Congress for not enacting legislation to combat sexual assault in the military. I was overwhelmed by the fact that Julie sent me all of her medals.
It is because of the people like Julie and people like you that I serve in Congress. You inspire me to continue fighting. Thank you, again, from the bottom of my heart, for your continuing service to your country.
All the best,
Jackie Speier
Member of Congress