White House Meeting Addresses Sexual Assault In The Military
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- During a meeting at the White House today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins discussed ways the Administration and Congress can work together to address a troubling increase in the number of sexual assault in the military. In addition to a number of her colleagues, Senator Collins met with Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President and Tina Tchen, Chief of Staff to the First Lady.
Senator Collins, who is a senior member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, has led bipartisan efforts to reduce the incidence of sexual assault in the military and to strengthen victim protections. Along with former Senator John Kerry, Senator Collins authored the STRONG Act, with Representatives Mike Turner and Niki Tsongas who introduced the House version of the bill, which was designed to implement many of the recommendations made by the Defense Task Force on Sexual Assault in the Military. As a result of this law, survivors of sexual assault in the military can now seek the assistance of advocates with genuine confidentiality; they now have guaranteed access to a lawyer; and – under a common-sense provision -- they can now request expedited consideration to be transferred far away from the location of their assailant.
Most recently, Senator Collins has announced her intention to work with Representatives Turner and Tsongas to introduce legislation to require the Coast Guard to update its policies to align with the STRONG Act provision ensuring expedited consideration of a transfer request.
“To be sure, the vast, overwhelming majority of our military personnel are honorable, conscientious, and respectful individuals, not rapists or harassers. It is for their sake that the pattern of covering up, blaming the victim, and failing to provide even the most basic protections that has been all too common for far too long must end,” said Senator Collins. “We must continue to work to ensure that no woman or man who joins the military is denied the justice and the protections available to civilians. Ultimately, the military’s policy of zero tolerance for sexual harassment and assault must become a culture of zero tolerance to prevent these crimes from occurring in the first place.”
Senator Collins is also a cosponsor of the Ruth Moore Act, a bill that would make it easier for survivors of military sexual assault to get recognition of service-connected disability from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Because many military sexual assaults go unreported, veterans often experience difficulty meeting the burden of proof when applying for service-connected disability benefits. This bill, introduced in the Senate by Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), would make it easier for veterans to qualify for benefits, since it would require the VA to accept the diagnosis of a mental health condition by a mental health professional, along with the veterans’ testimony of an assault having occurred, as sufficient for awarding service-connected disability benefits.
Recently, the Veterans Administration reduced the standard of proof for combat veterans who suffer from PTSD. Senator Collins believes the same standard should be applied to victims of military sexual trauma.
In 2012, Senator Collins was presented the Lauterbach Award from the Service Women’s Action Network for her efforts to reduce the incidence of sexual assault in the military and to strengthen victim protections.
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