[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 104 (Tuesday, June 15, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4529-S4530]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--S. 1520

  Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Madam President, I rise for the ninth time to once 
again call for this entire body to have the opportunity to consider and 
to cast their votes for the Military Justice Improvement and Increasing 
Prevention Act.
  This commonsense reform would ensure that people in the military who 
have been subjected to sexual assault and other serious crimes get the 
justice they deserve.
  I have been calling for a full floor vote on this bill since May 24. 
That was 22 days ago. Since then, an estimated 1,232 servicemembers 
will have been raped or sexually assaulted.
  Two in three of those survivors will not even report it because they 
know they are more likely to face retaliation than to receive justice.
  Tonight, I want to share the story of just one of these countless 
survivors of sexual assault in our military who bravely shared her 
story with me.
  A husband and a wife both served in the Marine Corps when the wife 
was assaulted by another marine. Her commander concluded that she 
deserved ill treatment for wearing running shorts and makeup. Her 
husband said that when he read the opinions of the command-appointed 
investigator, he found that he compared rape to prostitution or 
marrying a rich man. The wife said of the retaliation after she 
reported the assault that ``[t]he humiliation of the retaliation was 
worse than the assault because it was sanctioned from those same 
leaders I once would have risked my life for.''
  I ask my colleagues--I ask my colleagues to imagine living through 
the worst day of your life and knowing that nothing would happen to 
your assailant. Imagine knowing that there was a bill that could change 
this system that failed you, knowing that Senators from both sides of 
the aisle have come together to advocate for it, knowing that if it 
were allowed to be voted on, it would pass.
  Now imagine the vote getting denied night after night after night, 
watching the government that you volunteered to serve and defend 
continue to fail you.
  We have to do better. We can start by bringing this legislation to 
the floor.
  I ask unanimous consent that at a time to be determined by the 
majority leader in consultation with the Republican leader, the Senate 
Armed Services Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 
1520 and the Senate proceed to its consideration; that there be 2 hours 
for debate, equally divided in the usual form, and that upon the use or 
yielding back of that time, the Senate vote on the bill with no 
intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. REED. Madam President, reserving my right to object, the 
legislation that the Senator from New York proposes, particularly with 
respect to the issue of crimes involving sexual misconduct, is 
something that I support. But without a thorough, careful review in the 
Armed Services Committee, which is the traditional means of making 
these decisions, particularly when

[[Page S4530]]

they affect the entire Uniform Code of Military Justice, is something 
that is necessary, in my view, and will be done--and I hope promptly--
so that we can move forward with this legislation, not only to ensure 
that it passes but that it works for the benefit of the soldiers, 
sailors, marines, and airmen in our Armed Forces.
  Passing something that sounds good but has not been thoroughly 
reviewed and thoroughly vetted and will not be implemented effectively 
for the benefit of soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen is something 
I don't think we should do.
  I think, rather, we should wait for the committee hearings. I am 
confident that this legislation, with respect to crimes involving 
sexual misconduct, will emerge from the committee. There are other 
issues that we will consider.
  With that, I would reaffirm my objection.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Madam President, I respect the chairman and his need 
to carefully review this legislation, but we have been reviewing the 
legislation for 8 years, and we have been having hearings on this 
legislation and the issue of sexual assault in the military for 8 
years.
  We have been passing legislation through the committee for 8 years, 
but this vote has been denied every time.
  In fact, when don't ask, don't tell repeal was being filibustered by 
the Armed Services Committee chairman and other Members of that 
committee, we ultimately took that vote to the Senate floor. It was an 
up-or-down vote to repeal don't ask, don't tell.
  In this case, the committee has been considering this thoroughly and 
carefully for 8 years. And even if the chairman believes that he hasn't 
fully vetted it or reviewed it or had the careful consideration, many 
of the Members of the committee have. We have been diligently looking 
at this issue for 8 straight years. It is time to bring this to the 
floor.
  I am confident that if we bring this to the floor, we will be able to 
reform how we deal with these cases; we will be able to change the 
system for the better; and that we will be able to finally begin to 
overcome the scourge of sexual violence in the military.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. WICKER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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