U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand may have discovered the secret to a bipartisan vote in divided Washington: Timing and relentlessness.
Here’s some background.
On April 22, 2020, a Fort Hood soldier, Vanessa Guillen, disappeared after telling friends she had been sexually harassed.
In the months leading up to the discovery of her burned and dismembered body, her story became a source of outrage among female soldiers at Fort Hood and elsewhere. A subsequent investigation into the culture at Fort Hood found that the base had serious problems with sex crimes, assault and harassment.
According to The New York Times, the Army’s months-long review of the base found that no commanding general or senior commander proactively intervened to mitigate “known risks of high crime, sexual assault and sexual harassment.”
The report was more evidence that Sen. Gillibrand’s eight-year push to reform the way the military prosecutes sexual assault cases was absolutely necessary. It also convinced Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, of Iowa, to back the bill.
Working together, the two have secured enough bipartisan votes, 61 at last count, to take reporting around sexual assault out of the military chain of command.
Gillibrand told Capital Tonight why she has been relentless in her pursuit of reform – an adjective that multiple colleagues used to describe her efforts on behalf of this reform.
“Just talking to our service members. I’ve been on the Armed Services Committee now for 10 years and it has never been more important to stand up for our service members, especially when the system doesn’t work for them,” she said. “Many men and women and come forward and reported assaults. Not only to be disbelieved, but to be retaliated against for reporting.”
Gillibrand’s bill, S.1520, could see a vote as early as July. She told Capital Tonight she hopes it’s included in the National Defense Authorization Act.
“I believe the military deserves a military justice system worthy of the sacrifice they make every day,” the senator said.
In a related story, Gov. Andrew Cuomo was pressed earlier Thursday about the multiple sexual harassment allegations he is facing. In response, he said "if I just made you feel uncomfortable, that is not harassment, that's you feeling uncomfortable."
Gillibrand was asked about the governor’s comments.
“I don’t think that [what the Governor said] is the definition of sexual harassment,” she said.
When told that the governor also recently stated that he could not be found guilty by either the attorney general’s investigation or the Assembly’s investigation because he is “not guilty," Gillibrand said, “to me that doesn’t make sense, but again I think the fact that there are two serious investigations that are taking place, that is the appropriate course of action and they will make determinations.”
New York’s junior senator was also asked if she wanted to send a message to the women who brought these allegations against the governor.
“These allegations are serious. They’re credible. There’s several of them and it takes an enormous amount for a survivor of sexual harassment or assault to come forward. It’s not easy to do,” she said. “Based on what I’ve read and what I’ve heard, many of these survivors have dealt with serious trauma because of it and I commend anyone who is willing to speak a truth and ask for accountability. I don’t think it’s easy. I think it shows, it shows courage.”
Gillibrand also discussed the American Families Plan on Capital Tonight.