Jackie Speier

Why did this failure occur? Can you each commit to me that your services will rapidly put in place a system to ensure victims are asked whether they prefer their cases to be tried in civilian or military courts?

What happens when a prosecutor's ethical and legal expertise contradict commanders' opinions? What happens when justice demands that case be brought forward, and the prosecutor is unable to because the commander refuses to act?

How feasible is it for your service to develop an independent prosecution chain, along the lines of the Marines' reform?

One sexual assault is too many

I have a lot of high regard for the DAC-IPAD, but I think what you are referring to is a situation where the standard that they used was 'reasonable.'

I can't get around the decision made in Ms. Hanson's case. There was cold evidence.

Are you concerned by this failure to comply with the Federal law, and what does it mean to you that there is no system of recording victims' preference?

I think it is also offensive to consider this the equivalent of a parent and child relationship.

And he gets full benefits, I trust?

Did you ask that the case be sent to court-martial?

I am sure she wouldn't want that on her plate either, but it is just there is an inherent conflict of interest.

I think that is sugar-coating the issue.

Would you agree that following the Air Force's model and providing the SVC program with additional resources like dedicated paralegals will help strengthen the program's role in the military justice process?

I have been fighting this epidemic of sexual assault in the military since 2011.

I just want to echo the words you started out with. There is a piecemeal patchwork of authorities today and duty status reform is long overdue.

I could conceive of a set of circumstances where you would have someone in category one that is equal to someone in category two because they may not be in a military action.

So for all those Governors that are wringing their hands about losing authority, once this OMB document is released everyone will have access to it.

I urge the committee to support our proposal.

I don't think we want any of our service members, whether they are National Guard or Active Duty or Active Duty National Guard to be in a situation where they are without health insurance.

The patchwork of 30 duty statuses and accompanying benefits have needed modernization and streamlining for a long time.

I worry that the confusion generated by having so many duty statuses is having an effect on retention in the Reserve Components.

You can't lie to Congress. Michael Cohen lied to Congress, and he's going to prison.

I am outraged, but not surprised, that the political appointees in the EPA's Washington, D.C., office have decided that the Redwood City salt ponds in my district do not include waters of the United States under the Clean Water Act. This…

How can agencies be held accountable under the APA if we cannot see how decisions are being made?

I hope you can appreciate, from some of the questions that you have heard today, that that is a really bad idea.