Executive Calendar

Floor Speech

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Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, the time has come for this bill to pass. After 8 years of Senator Gillibrand's work in this area, it proves that she is a Senator who doesn't give up, and it proves that she is a Senator who can bring bipartisanship to a city that needs more bipartisanship.

So I, like her, call on my colleagues to pass this bill, the Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act, by unanimous consent.

I first joined Senator Gillibrand in advocating for this legislation in 2013, after truly horrifying reports out of the Pentagon about the rate of sexual assault and other criminal offenses going unpunished and a recommendation from a Commission on how to improve the system.

Whether it is in the military or whether it is outside the military, a crime is a crime, and it ought to be punished. It shouldn't be overlooked, as so often is what happens in the military.

We have been pushing for this bill ever since, despite promises from the Department of Defense that they had everything under control. We heard, time and time again, about new initiatives to stop sexual assaults and harassment. Yet things are worse today than when we started out.

They haven't worked. In the most recent review, almost 21,000 soldiers were victims of sexual assault. Only 4 percent of the cases went to trial, and 62 percent of those who reported sexual assault experienced retaliation--retaliation just because you shouldn't be hurt just because you are in the military and people can get away with it. In two-thirds of these cases, the retaliation comes from inside the chain of command.

The Department of Defense has had more than enough time to try their way to fix this problem, and it is clear a new approach is needed. It is the same approach that Senator Gillibrand has been trying to get done in this body for the last 8 years, and we have always been put off because of these promises that were never carried out.

By moving the decision to prosecute out of the chain of command, perpetrators of sexual assault and other serious crimes will be held accountable and should be held accountable. Survivors will have more confidence in the process. Retaliation will be less likely.

This year, there is fresh support for the effort. The new Secretary of Defense, Secretary Austin, has indicated that addressing this issue is a priority. A Department of Defense panel of experts that was convened recommended taking the decisions out of the chain of command. The President has signaled his support, and the bill in the Senate has over 60 bipartisan cosponsors, including my fellow Senator from Iowa Joni Ernst.

We have been waiting almost a decade. There is no need to wait any longer. I urge my colleagues to show unanimous support for protecting our men and women in military and allow this bill to pass. After 8 years and a demonstrated need in the recent 2 or 3 years for bipartisanship, it is right here in this bill. It deserves to be handled as a standalone piece of legislation.

I am glad that this bill earned the support of Senator Ernst, and she was key in getting the cloture-proof majority that we have for this bill

I would now yield to Senator Ernst.

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