Hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee - Markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014

Hearing

Senator INHOFE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate your leadership as the committee begins its efforts to mark up the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014.

The purpose of our open session today is to discuss the various provisions contained within the Personnel Subcommittee mark that relate to combating sexual assault in our military. There is agreement among all of us that sexual assault is a cancer in our military. It undermines unit readiness and effectiveness, hurts morale, and breaks the sacred trust with the men and women who volunteer to defend our country.

I commend my colleagues for their efforts to combat the scourge of sexual assault. However, I am concerned by some of the provisions in the bill, particularly those that would severely restrict our commanders' authority under the Uniform Code of Military Justice to make decisions with input from their staff judge advocates to swiftly and fairly deal with the misconduct and to preserve readiness.

I look forward to working closely with the members of this committee to ensure that we approach these important issues in a thoughtful and deliberate matter.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

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