Jackie Walorski: “Last night the House Armed Services Committee approved its version of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal…”

“Last night the House Armed Services Committee approved its version of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2014. Included was a provision I sponsored, along with Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, to extend whistleblower protections to victims of military sexual abuse. This bipartisan proposal will strengthen whistleblower protection laws and ensure that victims are protected from punishment for reporting sexual assault in the military. The Pentagon recently reported that an estimated 26,000 servicemembers were sexually assaulted last year with just over 3,000 cases reported. This one statistic alone is chilling, and it's only the tip of the iceberg. Our military represents the bravest men and women in the Nation, and growing reports of sexual assault and underreporting are sadly tarnishing the reputation of our Armed Forces. This bill gets to the root of the problem by creating a safe reporting environment and demanding accountability from our military leaders. Passage of this bill will be a step in the right direction to help victims and restore trust in our military. I am pleased this bipartisan provision is one step closer to becoming law. ____________________”