【?? ??? ??】Enter to watch online.Senators Hirono, Booker Introduce I Am Vanessa Guillen Act

WASHINGTON – Sens. Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) and ?? ??? ??Cory Booker (D-N.J.) on Sept. 16 introduced the I Am Vanessa Guillen Act, legislation that addresses sexual harassment and sexual assault in the military by removing decisions about prosecuting those cases from the chain of command, establishing independent investigators outside of the chain of command, and creating a stand-alone punitive article for sexual harassment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).

“Vanessa Guillen’s story makes painfully clear the need for a better response to sexual harassment and sexual assault in the military,” Hirono said. “The I Am Vanessa Guillen Act knocks down barriers to reporting sexual harassment and sexual assault and directly addresses the culture that protects the perpetrators of these crimes. It’s time to make a system that respects and protects survivors.”

“It’s far past time we address the epidemic of sexual assault and harassment in our military and change a system where these cases aren’t reported because of fears of retribution from superiors,” said Booker. “The I Am Vanessa Guillen Act will make major changes to how our military handles these cases, including moving prosecution decisions out of the complainant’s chain of command, while also increasing oversight of the military’s handling of missing soldier cases. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues in support of this bill.”

The I Am Vanessa Guillen Act would:

? Shift prosecutorial decisions on sexual harassment and sexual assault cases outside the chain of command to an Office of the Chief Prosecutor established within each military service

? Create a stand-alone punitive article for sexual harassment under the UCMJ

? Establish and train sexual harassment investigators outside of the chain of command of the complainant and the accused

? Further integrate the existing Department of Defense Catch a Serial Offender database with the sexual harassment confidential reporting process

? Create a process for service members to make claims of negligence against the Department of Defense and seek compensatory damages in cases of sexual assault or sexual harassment

? Require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate and provide a report on the military’s procedures to find missing service members, and compare them with best practices and procedures used by civilian law enforcement

? Require evaluations from both the Department of Defense and GAO of the military’s Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) programs

The legislation is named after SPC Vanessa Guillen, a soldier stationed at Fort Hood who went missing in April after facing sexual harassment and whose remains were found two months later. She had not reported her claims to her chain of command out of fear of retaliation. The bill was also introduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Jackie Speier (D-San Mateo) and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), and more than 100 other members of Congress.

Hirono has fiercely advocated for reforms to the military justice system. Since 2013, she has co-sponsored the Military Justice Improvement Act, legislation that professionalizes how the military prosecutes crimes like sexual assault.

In 2017, the senator questioned the commandant of the Marine Corps about addressing sexual assault and the mistreatment of women in the military. The following year, the senator secured the passage of a measure aiming to close a loophole in the UCMJ that allows convicted abusers to purchase firearms.

Additionally, Hirono asks all nominees that come before the committees she serves on — including the Senate Armed Services Committee — whether they have a history of sexual assault or sexual harassment.

Articles for you

• focus
• fashion
• knowledge
• synthesize
• hotspot
• explore
• recreation
• relaxation

• PERSONAL ESSAY: Investing in Our Community
• 'OK, boomer' has made it to the Supreme Court
• Your favorite dating app may be matching you with advertisers
• Is this a picture of a demon pig monster or an adorable doggo? You decide.
• Voices of Resistance
• Here's the deal with the White House's confusing 'first snow of the year' tweet
• Is this a picture of a demon pig monster or an adorable doggo? You decide.
• Coronavirus conspiracy theories spread panic and dangerous misinformation
• James Ho Confirmed to Fifth Circuit Court
• College students demand universities ban facial recognition

• Trump's 'Easy D' tweet took the internet straight to penis jokes
• Woman begs senator to vote against DeVos with pizza delivery
• Bathrobe Trump gets comfortable in some strange places with this Photoshop battle
• For better or worse, Snapchat changed sexting forever
• Ted Cruz congratulated a woman on having multiple sclerosis. Seriously.
• These extremely detailed 3D models of favorite TV shows are works of art
• Here's the real data on Trump's Twitter followers (who are a bunch of eggs)
• The internet is desperately trying to reunite this lost teddy bear with its owner
• The truth behind Airbnb's Super Bowl ad
• Mum slams Trump on Facebook for calling daughter's murder 'terrorism'

• JACL Disappointed with Supreme Court Decision on Muslim Ban
• Pete Buttigieg's confusing 'shape of our democracy' quote is inspiring memes
• How millennials are saving the porn industry
• Uber Eats workers keep riding in Australia's hazardous air with little support
• Advancing Justice, SEARAC Call on Administration to Honor U.S.
• Here's a list of the meme accounts that sold out to Mike Bloomberg
• Trump tweeted so hard during his impeachment trial he broke a record
• This cursed Baby Yoda chart will make you want to log off
• Japanese Couple Survives Devastating Fire in Paradise
• NASA reveals hundreds of city

• Heart Mountain to Hold Opening Event for New Estelle Ishigo Exhibit
• Is this a picture of a demon pig monster or an adorable doggo? You decide.
• Celebrating Marty the grocery store robot's birthday is super depressing
• 23andMe CEO lays off 100, attributes sales slump to privacy concerns
• Kay Nakauchi of Huntington Beach Union HS District Receives Special Recognition Award
• Dog absolutely loses it when her astronaut owner returns from space
• Bernie Sanders asking for your support is a meme for the entire campaign season
• Planters kills off Mr. Peanut for a Super Bowl ad, and people are thrilled
• A New Year in San Gabriel Valley
• Here's a list of the meme accounts that sold out to Mike Bloomberg