With Growing Bipartisan Support, Ernst Seeks to Help Pass Bill to Prevent Military Sexual Assault, Hold Perpetrators Accountable
The former commander in the Iowa Army National Guard and survivor of sexual assault joined Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on the Senate floor to support a vote on their bill.
WASHINGTON—With over sixty cosponsors and growing support for her bipartisan bill to prevent military sexual assault and hold perpetrators accountable, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a former commander in the Iowa Army National Guard and survivor of sexual assault, today joined Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on the Senate floor to speak in support of bringing this bill up for a vote.
Click here or on the image above to watch Senator Ernst’s remarks.
Background:
Last month, Ernst joined Senators Gillibrand and Grassley in introducing the Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act—which would professionalize how the military prosecutes serious crimes by moving the decision to prosecute from the chain of command to independent, trained, professional military prosecutors. The bill also provides for several new prevention provisions such as more and better training for commanders and increased physical security measures, while ensuring commanders still have the ability to provide strong leadership and ensure a successful command climate.
Just recently, the senators announced they secured over sixty bipartisan cosponsors — the critical threshold needed for passage of the bill.
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