Legislative Background on Sexual Assault in the Military
Recent Action by Congress Addressing Misconduct in the Armed Services
With growing national recognition of the prevalence of sexual assault in the military, Congress has spent an unprecedented amount of time this year grappling with the question of how the armed forces are handling the issue. For the first time in nearly a decade, Congress has held several high-profile hearings focusing on the issue. These included two hearings before the Personnel Subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee — one with testimony from veterans who were victims of sexual assault and one in which victims’ rights groups challenged the statements of senior military leaders. Meanwhile, competing legislative responses have generated…
