Could Congress have changed the outcome of two high profile cases of military sexual assault? Maybe.
The Washington Post reports:
A few months ago Congress approved changes to how the military handles cases of assault and rape in the ranks. The road taken — and the one it’s rejected — might have had real world implications in two high profile military sexual assault cases resolved in the past week.
Both cases played out in military courtrooms while Capitol Hill was locked in a months-long debate over whether to change how the Defense Department investigates and prosecutes similar cases. In December, Congress passed sweeping changes to how military officials will handle assault and rape cases in the future. And as the cases neared their conclusion, the Senate approved more changes pushed for by Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) that would grant protections to victims and extend current protections to students at military academies. But senators also rejected a separate plan by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) that would have stripped military commanders of the power to decide how to handle assault and rape cases, and hand over such powers to professional prosecutors.
