Annie Kuster: “It is unacceptable that so many of our brave Americans are attacked every year by their own colleagues. And when…”

“It is unacceptable that so many of our brave Americans are attacked every year by their own colleagues. And when survivors come forward, which only happens a fraction of the time, our flawed military justice system often turns a blind eye. Mr. Speaker, I was proud to work across the aisle with our colleagues, Jackie Walorski, Loretta Sanchez, and many others to pass strong whistleblower protections into law and help prevent retaliation against those who bravely report these crimes. We need to continue to work together, and I implore our colleagues to join us in voting ``yes'' on the motion to instruct and to guarantee that our veterans will be protected. I again partnered with Representative Walorski to introduce legislation to extend VA travel benefits to veterans travelling to seek treatment for injuries resulting from sexual trauma. Republican and Democrat alike, so many of us fought to reform our military justice system and transfer authority to independent prosecutors. And together, this House passed the Ruth Moore Act to help ensure that veterans suffering from sexual trauma have access to the services they need. In a Congress bogged down by gridlock and partisanship, this issue has united both parties. When working to rid our military of sexual assault, and to better serve its survivors, we have proven that Congress can still find common ground and solve problems.…”