Victims Protection Act

Floor Speech

Mr. President, I thank my colleague Senator McCaskill, as well as Senator Fischer. The Senate voted 97-0--unanimously--to support the Victims Protection Act. This act builds on important work that was done in the Defense authorization bill to ensure that victims of sexual assault in the military will be treated with dignity and respect; that there will be full accountability for commanders to ensure the climate within their unit is one of zero tolerance toward sexual assaults; and that when a victim comes forward, that victim--male or female--is supported within this system.

The Victims Protection Act, passed today by a vote of 97-0--and few things in the Senate pass with a 97-0 vote--will ensure there is another level of review when a commander disagrees with the recommendation of a prosecutor to prosecute a sexual assault case. It will then go up to the civilian secretary for another level of review.

The bill also ensures commanders are judged in their evaluations on the climate within their unit for addressing sexual assault and how they handle these types of cases.

It also eliminates the so-called good soldier defense. Because even if you have been a good soldier, if you have committed sexual assault, you need to be held accountable for your actions. So this bill will ensure people who are perpetrators are held accountable for their actions.

The bill also allows important input from the victims so they can have a say as to whether they believe a case should be brought in a military or a civilian system for prosecution.

This act adds on the important work we have done together in the Defense authorization bill but it is not the end. We will continue in the Armed Services Committee to make sure the reforms that have been passed are implemented, that commanders are held accountable for a climate of zero tolerance within their units, and that victims of sexual assault are treated with dignity and respect and know they will be supported if they come forward to report.

So I thank the Chair, and I again thank Senator McCaskill for her leadership on this bill. So few things pass in this body unanimously, but this shows the bipartisan commitment we have to stopping this scourge of sexual assault in the military.

I yield the floor.

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