Spurred into action by a Pentagon report documenting a surge in sexual assault cases in the military lawmakers are trying to find a way to reverse the trend. A bi-partisan group of lawmakers held a press conference to unveil their plan on Thursday, according to CBS News.
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, were joined by Rep. Nikki Tsongas, D-Mass., and Rep. Michael Turner, R-Ohio, as they unveiled a bill that they hope will punish assailants as well as encourage victims to speak out. The Pentagon report estimated that 26,000 service members were sexually assaulted in the last year but stressed the fact that it was an estimate, many victims fail to report when they have been assaulted, according to USA Today.
CBS News described what exactly the new bill would provide:
"The bill would prohibit commanding officers to overturn or dismiss court-marshaled convictions on sexual assault and rape and other crimes; require convening authorities to justify any modifications made to a sentence, and mandate that they get input from the victim; mandate dishonorable discharge or worse for anyone who is convicted of rape, sexual assault, forcible sodomy, or an attempt at any of those offenses; and eliminate the five-year statute of limitations in pressing charges for sexual offenses."
"We need to march forward unified with important reform that will protect and support the victims, that will make sure the rules make sense in terms of seeking justice," McCaskill told reporters. "We cannot make this about the blame game we sometimes engage in between the House and the Senate."
Rep. Michael Turner stressed that how important it was that the military take sexual assault cases seriously.
"This is a crime. It is a violent and vicious crime and the military needs to treat it as such," Turner told reporters.
Sexual assault scandals have been rampant in the military in the last month. In two separate incidents military officers involved in sexual assault prevention programs ended up being charged with that very crime. On top of that Reuters reported that an Army sergeant was accused of videotaping female cadets as they showered at West Point on Thursday.
CBS reports that this bill is not the only legislation being introduced with an aim at reducing military sexual assaults; Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., have also sponsored similar bills. Sen. Collins acknowledged this while speaking with reporters.
"I think we are looking at a lot of different proposals," Collins said. "I think the important thing is to try to get as many of us to agree on these reforms so that we don't end up with legislation that is on a party line vote. We all need to keep an open mind about all these pieces of legislation."
