Jackie Walorski: “I want to thank the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee for yielding me time. I also want to thank him for…”

“I want to thank the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee for yielding me time. I also want to thank him for his tremendous leadership, and Mr. Smith, as well, in crafting a bill that brings solutions to combat sexual violence in the Armed Forces. This bill includes a provision that I authored with Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez to encourage victims to step out of the darkness. The provision specifically identifies reports of sexual assault as a form of communication under whistleblower protections. It ensures that victims cannot face reprisal for reporting acts of sexual assault. Sexual violence has reached epidemic proportions and is eroding the foundations of trust that our military traditions have been built upon. I had the privilege to visit our troops in Afghanistan and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the finest military in the world. Hearing their concerns on this issue firsthand typifies the horrific reality of this situation. Mr. Chairman, there were an estimated 26,000 cases of military sexual assault last year alone, with only 3,600 victims reporting. It's reported that 62 percent of those who have been assaulted went on to experience some form of retaliation. Citing these facts and figures does not attest to the victims and the real-life faces of this problem. We're talking about our sons and daughters. We are talking about our brothers and sisters.…”