Susan Davis: “I want to thank my colleagues on the committee for working together to bring forward a good bill. My thanks, of course…”

“I want to thank my colleagues on the committee for working together to bring forward a good bill. My thanks, of course, to Chairman Wilson and to the committee staff for working in a bipartisan manner. The bill contains a multitude of provisions to address the issue of sexual assault; and while it may seem that this year Congress focused on sexual assault in the military, the reality is that this committee and its members have been working hard to address this issue, which demands our attention, for the last several years. This committee has, once again, put forward a number of proposals; but as much as we would wish that legislation alone will stop someone from committing a sexual act, we know that is not the case. It will also not stop the fear of retaliation, which prevents a number of servicemembers from reporting a sexual assault. This problem and how we deal with it has to start and end with those who wear the uniform, but it is important that we provide them the tools they need to effectively change the system and, ultimately, the culture by holding perpetrators accountable and commanders and prosecutors to the highest standard. Whether through bystander intervention, command climates that do not tolerate or condone sexual harassment and innuendo, and appropriate prosecutions and command actions, our servicemembers are ultimately the change agents who need to step forward.…”