[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 220 (Thursday, December 23, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1390]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      BRINGING JUSTICE TO SOLDIERS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ADRIANO ESPAILLAT

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 23, 2021

  Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, passage of this year's National Defense 
Authorization Act (NDAA) serves as an act of reprieve--and justice--for 
every sexual assault survivor who has put their life on the line in the 
name of service for this country and has been left behind in the wake 
of injustice.
  The NDAA contains the revised I am Vanessa Guillen Act. For the first 
time, the NDAA establishes the Office of the Special Trial Counsel 
which empowers and requires independent investigators to investigate 
allegations. That means for the first time, the NDAA takes the 
authority to prosecute sexual assault and harassment away from the 
military and gives it to independent military prosecutors.
  The military justice reforms included in this annual defense policy 
bill are historic and the most transformative in our nation's history. 
It is the culmination of years of advocacy from military sexual assault 
survivors, their families, and supporters.
  But let me be clear: my position on our nation's bloated defense 
budget remains unchanged.
  I remain committed to working with my colleagues to address climate 
change, racial injustice, and guaranteeing that families across the 
nation receive the relief they need as we work to build back better 
from a global pandemic. These are all problems that no amount of 
military spending can remedy, and we must redirect federal resources to 
the people, to our future generations, and to our working-class 
Americans.
  While I have historically voted ``no'' and plan to continue to do 
so--this was once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to finally right 
generations of injustice against our nation's servicemembers in 
uniform, to finally bring some sense of justice to the family of 
Vanessa Guillen and countless other soldiers who are victims of 
assault. I refused to leave them behind once more.
  With the passage of this year's NDAA, survivors of sexual assault 
will finally be guaranteed an independent military attorney to decide 
whether to prosecute and make other key, binding decisions in these 
cases--also ensuring that domestic violence, stalking, murder, 
manslaughter, kidnapping, and other special victim offenses are taken 
out of the chain of command. We are one step closer to justice and 
protection for our soldiers.
  My constituents can rest assured that I will continue my work to rein 
in defense spending and to invest resources in programs that promote 
peace, protect our planet, and provide the American people 
opportunities here at home.

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