Hearing of the Senate Armed Service Committee - Markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year

Hearing

Senator AYOTTE. I want to thank the chair and ranking member. I would just say I want to thank both of you for including the--most of the components of a bill that I have with Patty Murray dealing with sexual assaults in the military, including providing special victims counsel, which is now within the Air Force, to victims of sexual assault. And I want to echo what my colleague, Senator Hagan, just said, that, you know, I know that we are going to have a much more rigorous debate on addressing sexual assault in the military. But one thing I do know is that we will come up with a resolution on a bipartisan basis to make sure that this is addressed, that we have a--we convey to our commanders that there is a zero tolerance policy, and that victims of sexual assault in the military know that they will be supported, and that we will be supporting them in making sure that there is the most--the best environment for them to come forward to report, and also that they will get the support and services that they need, and that those that commit these sexual assaults will be held accountable, and they will be taken out of our military and, of course, prosecuted as well. So I thank the chairman.

Source