History will be made on Tuesday as some of the Pentagon's highest-ranking military officials are scheduled to appear in front of a record-breaking seven female lawmakers in the Senate Armed Services Committee for what could be the beginning of a string of hearings regarding the recent probe into military sexual assaults.
And with the recent emergence of female senators leading the charge, America and a number of political circles are watching closely as a contentious bill has been put on the table.
Seven female lawmakers currently sit on the Armed Services panel -- a record in and of itself -- and support a myriad of legislative approaches as to the best ways the Pentagon and they can approach these cases.
The women on the panel are: Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Sen Kay R. Hagan (D-N.C.), Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), and Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).
Each member of congress have made it clear they're considering a number of options, but the senators have reinforced that the Armed Services panel will be calculated as they determine vital changes in the military.
"We're demanding that change take place... This is a crime and we're going to address it as a crime," said Sen. Hagen. "And the perpetrators are going to be kicked out of the military."
Another female senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, is taking an aggressive approach and worrying other members in Congress, especially those who have served in the military, because they are afraid of undermining military chain of command and other fundamental traditions.
The Washington Post reports Gillibrand is "proposing one of the most dramatic changes in military policy regarding sex crimes. Her bill would remove more serious assault-related prosecutions from the military chain of command, unless the case is uniquely military in nature, such as disobeying orders or going Absent Without Leave."
Other female senators believe the issue needs to be kept front-and-center in order to gain greater following, citing historical changes to the civilian justice system.
"They're going through the changes the civilian system went through 20, 30 years ago," said Sen. McCaskill. "And we just need to jump start it and make sure it goes as quickly as possible."
