Sexual Assault in the Military

Floor Speech

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give voice to the thousands of men and women who have been sexually assaulted while serving their country in our Armed Forces. The Pentagon estimates that as many as 26,000 servicemembers were sexually assaulted last year. That's 70 assaults a day. But only 13 percent of the victims have reported the crime because of fear of retaliation.

We must establish a culture in our military that has zero tolerance for sexual assault; a culture that protects, not intimidates, victims; that prosecutes, not excuses, perpetrators; and that denounces, not ignores, sexual violence. We must make it a priority to end this unfathomable crime within our military and provide victims with the care that they need and deserve.

Next week, I will introduce the National Guard Military Sexual Trauma Parity Act to ensure that victims of sexual trauma in the National Guard also have access to the resources and services they need.

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