Nydia M. Velazquez: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise in opposition to this rule. Our Armed Forces face an epidemic that is tearing…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise in opposition to this rule. Our Armed Forces face an epidemic that is tearing away this institution's moral credibility. Millions of patriotic young men and women who are considering donning our Nation's uniform, must contend with the fact that our military has become a safe haven for sexual assault and rape. According to DOD's own estimate, on average, 70 servicemembers are sexually assaulted every day, with 26,000 of these incidents occurring last year alone. That represents a 30 percent increase from just 2 years before. Keep in mind, this is the Department of Defense data. It is likely this problem is even more widespread than these numbers suggest. Equally troubling, only a sliver of about 3 percent of these cases were prosecuted. The horrifying fact is that tolerance of sexual assault has become part of the Armed Forces' culture. In too many cases, victims are further harmed by a system that protects offenders in the name of the chain of command. This is unacceptable. It must change, and it must change now. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired. Mr. McGOVERN. I yield the gentlelady an additional 30 seconds.”