Kirsten Gillibrand to push original sexual assault measure
Source: Politico
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand will seek a floor vote on her original military sexual assault proposal after supporters threatened to abandon the New York Democrat’s effort if she made changes that weakened it.
“We’re going to stick to the original plan because it’s a better bill,” Gillibrand said Sunday on ABC’s ‘This Week,’ referring to an amendment that would overhaul the Pentagon’s military justice system by removing the chain of command from all major military crimes.
Military justice experts had warned Gillibrand last week she was on shaky legal ground in narrowing the scope of her amendment to just focus on sexual assault and rape, rather than dozens of other crimes including murder, manslaughter and theft.
Gillibrand had floated the change as a way to pick up a filibuster-proof 60 votes for her amendment when it comes up for floor debate as soon as this week as part of the annual defense authorization bill. On Thursday, she told POLITICO that the idea remained in play despite warnings from several longtime supporters, including one victim advocate who complained the new “pink courts would be a great disservice to women who wear the uniform.”
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/kirsten-gillibrand-military-sexual-assault-measure-99956.html
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