House panel OKs measure to curb military assaults

The proposed changes will be folded into the Armed Services Committee’s broader defense policy bill for the 2014 fiscal year, which the full House will consider in the coming weeks. Separately, the Senate Armed Services Committee is taking up a series of sexual assault prevention measures next month. A final plan will eventually be produced after any differences between the House and Senate are resolved.

Members of a House panel angry over the growing epidemic of sexual assaults in the military took a key step toward tackling the problem by passing legislation Wednesday that would strip commanding officers of their longstanding authority to unilaterally change or dismiss court-martial convictions in rape and assault cases.

Lawmakers believe the revision will lead to a cultural shift and encourage victims to step forward.

The legislation also would impose harsher penalties on service members found guilty of sexual offenses by requiring that they be dismissed or dishonorably discharged.

The moves by the House Armed Services military personnel subcommittee reflect outrage on Capitol Hill over the poor results military leaders have achieved in their efforts to combat sexual assault in the ranks.

A Pentagon report released earlier this month estimated that up to 26,000 military members may have been sexually assaulted last year and that thousands of victims are still unwilling to come forward despite new oversight and assistance programs aimed at curbing the crimes.

The report showed the number of sexual assaults actually reported by members of the military rose 6 percent to 3,374 in 2012. But a survey of personnel who were not required to reveal their identities showed the number of service members actually assaulted could be as high as 26,000. That figure is an increase over the 19,000 estimated assaults in 2011.

Congress has repeatedly challenged the military to take more aggressive steps to curb sexual assault. But the new figures convinced lawmakers that military leaders had not done enough and that swift legislative action was needed. President Barack Obama has weighed in as well, declaring that he wants to eliminate the “scourge” of sexual assault.

The subcommittee’s vote came after a string of sexual assualt related incidents that raised fresh doubts about the military’s commitment to tackling the problem.

Just before the Pentagon’s report on sexual assault statistics was released, the Air Force officer who led the service’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response unit was arrested on charges of groping a woman in a Northern Virginia parking lot. Lt. Col. Jeffrey Krusinski was removed from his post after the Air Force learned of his arrest.

Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., the military personnel subcommittee chairman, said the proposed changes are significant and will give assault victims the confidence to report crimes.

Rep. Michael Turner, R-Ohio, who along with Rep. Niki Tsongas, D-Mass., wrote several of the provisions included in the subcommittee’s bill, criticized the Defense Department’s approach to the problem.

“I think the leadership of the military is confused,” Turner said. “They believe as long as they have programs where they say sexual assault is wrong that they’ve done enough. No. They have to support the victim, and they have to support vigorous prosecution.”

Turner and Tsongas are co-chairs of the Military Sexual Assault Prevention Caucus.

Separately, the Senate Armed Services Committee is taking up a series of sexual assault prevention measures next month. A final plan will eventually be produced after any differences between the House and Senate are resolved.

Sens. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, plan to introduce legislation today with several of the same provisions drafted by Turner and Tsongas. The McCaskill-Collins bill also includes additional measures to protect the victims during the legal process.