Niki Tsongas: “I thank Congresswoman Brownley for allowing me to speak on this very worthwhile motion, and I rise in support.…”

“I thank Congresswoman Brownley for allowing me to speak on this very worthwhile motion, and I rise in support. Statistics from the Department of Veterans Affairs indicate that as many as one in five women are sexually assaulted while serving in the military. But receiving benefits from the VA remains a challenge. Last year, the Service Women's Action Network, the Yale Law School Veterans Legal Services Clinic, the ACLU, and the ACLU of Connecticut released a report showing that veterans who experience sexual assaults have their benefits claims denied more than veterans with other types of PTSD. The report also found the rate of granting these claims varied greatly depending on the particular VA regional office. The St. Paul, Minnesota, office granted only 26 percent of the military sexual trauma claims they received, while the office in Los Angeles granted more than 88 percent of the claims they received. Anyone who has seen the powerful documentary ``The Invisible War'' has anguished along with Kori Cioca. Kori survived a horrific sexual assault while serving, and suffered severe injuries to her face and jaw incident to the assault. She waited for years for an answer from the VA on the jaw surgery she needed, but her claim was ultimately and shockingly denied. The VA has a long way to go when it comes to granting benefits for survivors of military sexual trauma.…”