[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 165 (Monday, October 29, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2263-E2264]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         THE MILITARY DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE RESPONSE ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 29, 2007

  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Speaker, today, as we recognize Domestic 
Violence Awareness Month, I am proud to introduce the Military Domestic 
and Sexual Violence Response Act. This important piece of legislation 
will ensure greater protections for service members and their families 
if they become victims of violence. It also will strengthen programs to 
prevent violence against fellow soldiers and military families.
  Unfortunately, sexual assault and domestic violence are pervasive and 
serious problems

[[Page E2264]]

throughout all branches of the military. In March 2007, the Department 
of Defense (DoD) released their third annual sexual assault report, 
which stated that there were 2,947 allegations of sexual assaults 
reported in 2006; a 24 percent increase from 2005. In 2004, the DoD 
reported 9,000 incidents of spousal abuse. A 2005 Sexual Harassment and 
Assault Survey of the Service Academies found 6 percent of females and 
1 percent of males said they were sexually assaulted in 2004-2005, and 
less than half the females who experienced sexual assault reported it. 
In this same survey, 60 percent of female cadets indicated sexual 
harassment was about the same as when they first enrolled at their 
academy.
  While the DoD has been making efforts to improve its prevention and 
response to domestic and sexual violence, victim services remain 
incomplete and inconsistent among the various branches. There have been 
reports that victims advocates, charged with protecting the victim's 
rights, have been denied resources to do their job, and in some 
instances been forced off the base altogether. Furthermore, DoD 
policies are not codified in the Uniform Code of Military Justice 
(UCMJ) and do not offer the same level of rights and protections 
afforded to civilian victims. Perhaps most importantly, victims are 
unable to seek confidential counseling and treatment without fear that 
their records might become public if they press charges against their 
assailant.
  My bill, the Military Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Act, 
seeks to bring military law up to par with civilian laws by 
establishing a comprehensive approach for the military to address 
domestic violence and sexual assault among our soldiers. Specifically, 
this bill will:
  Establish an Office of Victims Advocate (OVA) within DoD, bring the 
Family Advocacy Program under OVA, and create a Director of OVA to 
oversee and coordinate efforts to prevent and respond to cases of 
family violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking with 
the military and among military families;
  Codify rights, restitution policies, treatment and other services for 
victims within the UCMJ, including creating comprehensive 
confidentiality protocols to protect the rights of victims within 
military law;
  Strengthen policies for reporting, prosecuting and treating 
perpetrators of violence;
  Create counseling and treatment programs through the Department of 
Veterans Affairs.
  The military should be at the forefront of prosecuting assailants and 
setting the highest standards for treatment of service men and women, 
or military family members, victimized by sexual assault and domestic 
violence. Our Armed Forces must be able to guarantee the most basic 
protections to ensure these victims can receive necessary counseling, 
treatment, and justice.
  If a victim cannot access essential care for fear of stigma, threats 
to their career, or because they just do not know what resources are 
available, the military will continue to lose valuable female and male 
soldiers. These men and women who serve our country in uniform put 
themselves in harm's way to protect our Nation from threats at home and 
abroad. They deserve the same rights and protections as the civilians 
whose freedoms they protect. My bill ensures service members are 
adequately protected when dealing with the horrible tragedy of sexual 
assault or domestic violence.
  Do not allow our brave service members to be victimized twice, once 
by their perpetrator and then again by the military's lack of 
appropriate, compassionate, and confidential treatment and response.
  Madam Speaker, I encourage all Members to join me in cosponsoring the 
Military Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Act.

                          ____________________