What They’re Saying: NDAA Military Justice Reforms Transformational for Survivors

• House of Representatives has passed #NDAA including #IamVanessaGuillen honoring my sister. I can have some peace tonight. We will still keep working, this is not the end but a HUGE step in history. @WhistleblowerLF couldn’t have happened without you. Thank you.
• These tears are of both joy and sadness combined… this long awaited time. @vguillen_30 our family love goes above and beyond. I hope you’re proud

• “We are particularly proud that this legislation, thanks to Congresswoman Jackie Speier, contains historic and sweeping reforms to combat sexual assault in the military, including removing the Commander from key decisions related to sexual assault and related crimes and criminalizing sexual harassment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.”

• “The clarion call of sexual assault survivors has been heard: Congress will finally move those cases out of the chain of command. This annual defense policy bill includes historic military justice reforms; the most significant since the creation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice in 1950. Survivors of sexual assault will finally be guaranteed that an independent military attorney, outside of the victim’s and the assailant’s chain of command, will decide whether to prosecute and make other key, binding decisions in these cases. These reforms will not be limited to sexual assault cases but will also ensure domestic violence, stalking, murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, and other special victim offenses are taken out of the chain of command. The new, independent prosecutors, known as Special Trial Counsels, will be under civilian control, reporting to the secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. These secretaries are appointed by the President, confirmed by the Senate, and will be accountable to Congress and the people of the United States for the success of this transformative change.”
• Full statement: https://speier.house.gov/press-releases?ID=BF860ECC-4F54-49A4-83E7-41E1222EDB36

• “The House passage of the National Defense Authorization Act is history in the making. The reforms to military justice are the most significant since 1950. We’re making our armed services more inclusive of women, especially women of color. And we’re ensuring that our military families, who also serve and sacrifice, have what they need to succeed. This bill marks a legislative milestone in providing a pathway to justice for tens of thousands of military sexual assault survivors each year. We are removing cases of sexual assault and other serious crimes such as murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, and other special victim crimes such as domestic violence and stalking from the chain of command. This bill also creates a standalone offense for sexual harassment, of which there are over 100,000 victims each year. This is key given the chilling number of violent crimes preceded by sexual harassment, including the brutal murder of SPC Vanessa Guillén. This marks a major victory—one that has been a decade in the making—for survivors of sexual assault. It also finally does justice to the honor and memory of SPC Guillén and so many others like her.”

• Today, I voted to pass #NDAA 2022 which contains several key reforms to military justice. After a long road of fighting for #JusticeForVanessaGuillen, these critical reforms will become law & protect our soldiers from sexual harassment & assault.
• The National Defense Authorization Act of 2022 provides the most significant reforms to the Uniform Code of Military Justice in fifty years. This bill will finally answer the call of countless survivors of sexual assault and harassment to provide independent prosecution of these crimes. We got in this fight after the tragic murder of Spc. Vanessa Guillen, and we have pushed and pushed and pushed and while all provisions were not included in the Senate's agreed version, it is a major step in getting justice for victims and protecting our soldiers," said Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia.
• Full statement: https://sylviagarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-sylvia-r-garcia-issues-statement-key-reforms-uniform-code
• Interviews: Congress close to reforming military justice system (spectrumlocalnews.com), Congress moves to pass reforms on military sex assault investigations inspired by Texan Vanessa Guillén (houstonchronicle.com), Vanessa Guillen: U.S. House passes historic reforms on military sex assault investigations - ABC13 Houston

• (As quoted in NYT): “While not perfect, the agreement is far from a setback for survivors and their advocates,” said Lynn Rosenthal, the chairwoman of an independent review commission that Mr. Austin appointed this year to come up with recommendations on the issue. “Instead, it represents a historic step toward justice.”

• Today’s agreement to remove prosecution decisions from commanders represents an important, but not complete victory for military sexual assault survivors – and yet it is still the most significant military justice reform in our nation’s history.
• Col. Don Christensen (ret.): “Today is the culmination of years of advocacy from military sexual assault survivors, their families and supporters. Military sexual assault survivors took on the world’s largest employer with the world’s largest budget and won a major victory. The provisions included in this year’s NDAA are the most transformative military justice reforms in our nation’s history. This is what happens when we champion survivors and ensure their voices are heard.”
• Full statement: https://www.protectourdefenders.com/congress-announces-agreement-on-transformative-military-justice-reforms-to-address-military-sexual-assault-epidemic/

• “It's not perfect but it's not done. We're deeply grateful to all who've fought on the frontlines through years & decades for this change. The fight to #EndMST will not be done in our lifetimes but today is a step. Thank you @ProtectRDfnders and @NotInMyMarines for your fight!

• Don put it best. We took on the worlds largest employer and have won. We finally won. #MJIIPA #meTooMilitary #NIMMC

• The culmination of so many long years of work. I’m crying. I wish I had a bottle of champagne but I didn’t want to jinx it. This is by no means the end. There is still a lot of work to be done. Feres needs to be overturned. #MJIIPA  #MeTooMilitary #overturnFeres

• NCADV’s President/CEO Ruth M. Glenn: “We appreciate Congress’s and the Administration’s commitment to promoting safety and justice for victims and survivors who experience abuse at the hands of service members. For too long, many of these victims and survivors have been ignored and had their cases swept under the rug. These changes will help to ensure survivors are heard and recognized.”

• NAESV President, Monika Johnson Hostler: “Tragically, Vanessa Guillen lost her life because the military failed to take the problem of sexual violence seriously enough. She deserved better, and we believe these policies will mean survivors are more likely to be protected, supported, and receive justice. This is a historic victory.” Statement: https://tinyurl.com/c5kzv26j

• Yesterday, a bipartisan NDAA agreement was reached, representing a turning point in how the military handles domestic violence cases and, for the first time, enabling systematic collection of DV reports. TY @RepSpeier @SenGillibrand & IRC Chair @Lynnspeaksout for your leadership!
• We're also grateful to @WhiteHouse and @WhiteHouseGPC for their commitment to this issue.

• Thanks to @POTUS @Lynnspeaksout @WhiteHouseGPC & IRC for their transformative work. NDAA removSexualestigation & prosecution of sexual assault, domestic violence & other serious crimes from the chain of command, & creates dedicated units to handle these cases and related crimes.

• WASHINGTON — House and Senate negotiators reached a landmark agreement on Tuesday that would strip military commanders of most of their authority to prosecute sexual assaults and myriad other criminal cases, a move that Pentagon leaders, lawmakers and presidents have resisted for nearly a generation. The legislation, part of a broad defense policy bill, comes after nearly two decades of efforts by female lawmakers and survivors’ groups, and in spite of fierce last-minute lobbying against the proposal by military lawyers. The measure does not go as far as Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Democrat of New York, has long sought, and she vowed to fight for further changes in the new year. But the new system would be a sea change in the approach to the intransigent issue of sexual assault in the military.

• Washington, DC – Today, Civic Nation’s gender equity initiatives, The United State of Women, It’s On Us and End Rape on Campus, stood together as organizations at the forefront of the fight for gender equity to release a statement following the House passage of The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The NDAA includes historic and meaningful reform of the military justice system’s handling of sexual assault cases.
• “Every issue is a gender issue at USOW, especially survivor justice,” said the United State of Women Executive Director Jordan Brooks. “We are pleased to see Congress pass bipartisan reform on military sexual assault that is both trauma-informed and prioritizes the needs of survivors of sexual misconduct. Reforms like this will help set an important precedent for how survivors must be centered and believed across all sectors as we work to create a world free from gender-based violence.” 
• “It's On Us is pleased that Congress has reached a bipartisan deal to achieve historic reform of the military justice system’s handling of sexual assault cases, including recommendations made by the Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault led by Lynn Rosenthal and supported by President Biden and Secretary Austin. Removing the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault from the chain of command and creating dedicated units to handle these cases will hopefully lead to more survivors accessing support and justice. We also believe that increased reporting will help to inform the creation of much-needed prevention education efforts and work to eliminate sexual violence from within our military ranks,” said It’s On Us Executive Director Tracey Vitchers.
• “End Rape On Campus is proud to support the NDAA’s military justice reform as a critical and transformative step in addressing the long-standing sexual assault crisis present in the military. Each year, thousands of service members experience sexual assault, and then must face the fear of retaliation and lack of accountability,” said End Rape On Campus Executive Director, Kenyora Parham. “Through addressing the bias yielded by the military chain of command and ensuring that investigation and prosecution procedures are conducted by an independent unit of trained, professional military prosecutors, EROC believes this bill will serve as the first step in shifting culture within the military and creating a violence-free environment in which all service member survivors are seen, heard and believed.”

• In the wake of the murder of Vanessa Guillen, Congress is set to reform military law so that commanders will no longer decide who gets prosecuted in rape and sexual assault cases. It would also make sexual harassment a military offense.

• The military has vowed to curb sexual assault for decades to no avail. Now, Congress is stepping in.