Klobuchar, Kline, Minnesota Delegation Call on U.S. Army to Ensure Minnesota National Guard Ability to Assist Victims of Sexual Assault

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and Representative John Kline led Minnesota's congressional delegation in calling on the U.S. Army to ensure that the Minnesota National Guard can fully assist victims of sexual assault. The Army recently released a directive expanding important legal services to certain victims of military sexual assault, but the directive fails to cover Guard members who become victims of sexual assault outside of their drill weekend or military duty. In a letter to Secretary of the Army John McHugh, Minnesota's congressional delegation raised concerns that the lack of clarity around the new directive could undermine the Minnesota National Guard's ability to effectively provide support services to survivors of sexual assaults. The letter was led by Senator Klobuchar and Representative Kline and co-signed by Senator Al Franken and Representatives Collin Peterson, Betty McCollum, Michele Bachmann, Keith Ellison, Tim Walz, Rick Nolan, and Erik Paulsen.

"As members of the Minnesota Congressional delegation, and strong supporters of the Minnesota National Guard, we are focused on ensuring the military has the tools to prevent sexual assault and assist survivors," the lawmakers wrote. "Our Minnesota servicemembers should not be impeded from seeking critical services in the aftermath of a sexual assault. The Army must provide clear guidance and direction in order for the National Guard to effectively provide these services authorized by Congress.

In May, the Department of Defense released a report which found that overall reporting of sexual assaults in the military in Fiscal Year 2013 was 50 percent higher than it was in Fiscal Year 2012 (5,061 in 2013 versus 3,374 in 2012). Previous year-to-year increases in reporting never exceeded five percent.

Klobuchar has been a leader in the fight against sexual assault in the military. The 2014 National Defense Authorization Act included Klobuchar-authored provisions to help crack down on sexual assault in the military, including measures to require the automatic retention of sexual assault records, strengthen whistleblower protections, and help stop repeat offenders.

As a 25-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, whose wife is a retired career Army Nurse, Kline has championed efforts to make sexual assault prevention and prosecution a focus of defense legislation. In addition to leading this letter with Sen. Klobuchar, last month, Kline spoke with Sec. of the Army, John McHugh, to ensure the men and women serving in the Minnesota National Guard have access to critical services following an assault. Kline also recently led bipartisan legislation, signed into law by the President, preventing any individual convicted of a sex crime from enlisting in the U.S. Armed Forces.

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