Sherrill Statement on Military Justice Reform Executive Order
WATCH Sherrill Speak about Harassment and Retaliation at NAS Pensacola
Parsippany, NJ — Today, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) — a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, a former Navy helicopter pilot, and a member of the House Armed Services Committee — released the following statement on President Biden’s Executive Order implementing bipartisan military justice reforms:
“For too long, the culture of sexual assault and harassment has been a shameful blight on our military, with servicemembers feeling like they had nowhere to turn for help. From my days as a midshipman at the Naval Academy to now as a Member of Congress, I’ve heard of too many cases where leadership and the chain of command fundamentally failed the women who came forward to report harassment and assault. We saw this most recently at Naval Air Station Pensacola — where women came forward, faced retaliation, and their careers were put in jeopardy.
“And like so many Americans, I was horrified by the brutal murder of Vanessa Guillén in 2020, who was harassed by a superior at Fort Cavazos and was failed by her chain of command. We can never let that happen again.
“That’s why I began working to reform the system from the moment I was sworn in. This executive order to remove sexual assault from the chain of command comes after years of painstaking work on the House Armed Services Committee — and would not have been possible without the efforts of fellow female veterans and national security experts like Representatives Chrissy Houlahan, Elissa Slotkin, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and former Representatives Jackie Speier and Elaine Luria. We never backed down — and finally, two years ago, we were able to bring Congress together to pass meaningful reform through the NDAA.
“I applaud President Biden for moving forward with this final step and I’m committed to working with fellow veterans, the Department of Defense, and our servicemembers to ensure justice is served and that all who sign up are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.”
Rep. Sherrill is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and served for nearly a decade in the U.S. Navy as a helicopter pilot and Russian policy officer. Advocating on behalf of servicewomen is a top priority for Rep. Sherrill. In the FY2022 NDAA, she secured the removal of the adjudication of sexual assault and harassment from the chain of command to ensure better justice for survivors.
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