Political Quotes

“I rise today to once again ask that every Senator have a chance to consider and cast their vote on the Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act. This bill would ensure that when crimes are committed in our military, justice is delivered. This commonsense reform, which has bipartisan, filibuster-proof support, moves the decision on whether to prosecute serious crimes to independent, trained, and professional military prosecutors, while leaving misdemeanors and uniquely military crimes within the chain of command. In other words, it takes the same approach to criminal justice that the military takes in most other areas of operation. It puts highly technical work in the hands of trained specialists. This is not a new concept. I first introduced a similar form of this legislation in 2013. This is not a new idea that requires hypothetical thinking. This system or a version of it is already being used by our allies around the world to positive effect. Australia has moved charging decisions for serious crimes from the chain of command to the director of military prosecutions, as has Canada, New Zealand, and Ireland. In France, charging decisions are made by lawyers, not by commanders. Germany tries military cases in civilian courts with civilian authorities. In Italy, charging decisions are made by judge advocates, who are fully independent of the chain of command.…”