Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand issued the following statement tonight after the Military Justice Improvement Act received bipartisan consent to proceed to consideration on the Senate floor. The unanimous consent agreement comes after being denied earlier this week on Monday. Agreement was also unanimously reached to vote on a reform proposal by Senator McCaskill, which Senator Gillibrand supports.
“Military sexual assault survivors have bravely walked the halls of Congress for over a year now advocating for this change, reliving some of the worst moments of their lives, so hopefully another service member doesn’t have to. I am pleased that their long wait for their day on the Senate floor appears to be nearing an end.
“I am confident, that if needed, we will earn the votes needed to overcome a filibuster and promise that my colleagues and I who support this common sense reform will fight with all we have for its passage until the final gavel comes down. Then men and women of our military deserve no less.”
Senator Gillibrand’s bipartisan Military Justice Improvement Act currently has 55 public Senate supporters, as well as the endorsement of leading veterans service organizations, such as Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Vietnam Veterans Of America, Protect Our Defenders and Service Women Action Network. To learn more about the bill and the broad coalition of supporters please visit www.gillibrand.senate.gov/mjia.