[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 72 (Tuesday, May 21, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S3660]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself and Mrs. Fischer):
  S. 992. A bill to provide for offices on sexual assault prevention 
and response under the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, to require 
reports on additional offices and selection of sexual assault 
prevention and response personnel, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Armed Services.
  Ms. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, today, Senator Fischer and I, rise today 
to speak about the alarming crisis of sexual assault within our 
nation's military.
  Three particularly disturbing cases have arisen in recent weeks. 
First, an Air Force Lieutenant Colonel was arrested for sexual battery, 
and an Army first sergeant is alleged to have engaged in sexual 
misconduct at Fort Flood. Finally, the Army also relieved a lieutenant 
colonel from his post for a domestic dispute that violated a stalking 
protection order. What is most concerning is that all were responsible 
for either handling sexual assault cases or managing policies 
pertaining to military sexual assault.
  We have seen three incidents of this kind in a period of two weeks. 
The fact that the cases involved multiple services speaks volumes to 
the need to elevate all Sexual Assault Prevention Response, SAPR, jobs 
to the level of importance that they deserve. Given the challenge of 
addressing the sexual assault crisis, we need the best and brightest 
taking on these jobs in our military today.
  We should take steps to ensure that these jobs are on par with those 
that the military values most. This will address one of the primary 
factors at the heart of the issue--the need for cultural change in the 
military. It starts with increasing the value of Sexual Assault 
Prevention and Response positions and enforcing a rigorous application, 
intense record review and an interview process that screens applicants 
prior to selection for those duties.
  While we appreciate Secretary Hagel's efforts to ensure that 
candidates for these jobs are rescreened, retrained and recertified, 
the bigger issue is making sure that there is a robust process in place 
to get the highest caliber candidates into all Sexual Assault 
Prevention and Response jobs at the start. We firmly believe that 
changes to the military justice system are critical, but we also 
believe that changing military culture will require transforming the 
process by which we fill these positions. It will also require holding 
the leadership accountable for selecting those individuals.
  That is why, today, we are introducing legislation that will make the 
highest-level Sexual Assault Prevention and Response positions 
nominative ones.
  Nominative jobs, also referred to as ``high visibility,'' are given 
that designation because of the caliber of person needed to fill them. 
These are some of the most significant, challenging and highly desired 
positions in the military. Transitioning SAPR jobs to a nominative 
process enables direct leadership involvement from the commander, who 
would now hand-pick the person to fill the role. Furthermore, there is 
a level of prestige that comes with taking nominative jobs because they 
are recognized as premiere jobs within the organization. Applicants 
know up front that these jobs will be challenging and career-enhancing. 
As such, only the best of the best need apply.
  This crisis has reached a breaking point that requires more than the 
traditional process for filling military positions. We can no longer be 
comfortable placing the service member in a SAPR position solely based 
upon individual career paths and personal aspirations. As proven over 
the last several weeks, there are holes in that process. We need to 
enact a stringent application, record review and interview process that 
holds leaders accountable for SAPR job selection and increases the 
likelihood of getting the best possible applicants.
  There is a sense of urgency surrounding military sexual assault that 
requires answers now. Secretary Hagel was correct in saying, ``Sexual 
assault has no place in the United States military'' and that ``the 
American people, including our service members, should expect a culture 
of absolutely no tolerance for this deplorable behavior.'' We could not 
agree more, but we are also of the belief that the change in culture 
with respect to sexual assault will require more than education and 
awareness training. Our military needs to develop a culture that gives 
preeminence to jobs related to sexual assault prevention.
  We know that military leaders share our concerns and appreciate the 
leadership demonstrated thus far. We trust that they will also 
acknowledge the benefits of making SAPR jobs nominative positions. We 
hope my colleagues in the Senate will take up and pass this legislation 
as we attempt to address the scourge that is sexual assault in our 
military.
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