Gillibrand Statement On Report That Navy Has Paused Sexual Assault Prevention And Response Training

Washington, D.C. – Addressing a report that the Navy has paused sexual assault prevention and response training, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement:

“Reports that the Navy’s sexual assault prevention and response training has been paused is extremely alarming. For years, there has been bipartisan consensus around the need to address sexual assault in our ranks, ultimately culminating in historic reforms to our military justice system. Any pause in these efforts is unacceptable and I’ve reached out to the Navy for an explanation.”

For nearly a decade, Gillibrand fought alongside survivors, veterans and legal experts to build a broad bipartisan coalition to fundamentally change the military justice system. In the FY2023 defense bill, Gillibrand successfully incorporated her legislation to remove judicial functions and prosecutorial decisions from the chain of command for certain serious crimes, including sexual assault, and put them in the hands of trained, professional military prosecutors. This bipartisan reform was supported by leading veterans service organizations and advocacy groups, including VFW, IAVA, the American Legion, Vietnam Veterans of America, Protect Our Defenders, National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, SWAN, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), Common Defense, and Veterans Recovery Project.

Print this entry