U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard released a statement today in response to President Barack Obama’s plan to confront sexual assault in the Armed Services within one year:

President Obama’s commitment to address the issue of military sexual assault is critical as we work with the Department of Defense to ensure that meaningful change and progress is made. However, we can’t afford to wait an entire year before building on the important progress we have made in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013.  We must continue to push for the changes called for in the Military Justice Improvement Act.

The brave men and women who step up to protect our nation, my brothers and sisters in arms, deserve a fair and transparent military justice system. … Victims of military sexual trauma deserve a vote.

Gabbard helped introduce the Military Justice Improvement Act (H.R. 2016), which her office describes “a bipartisan, bicameral effort to restore the faith of the American people and military sexual assault survivors by removing decision-making from the chain of command, and empowering experienced trial counsel to determine whether to take a case to a special or general court-martial proceeding.”

Photo: Welcome home ceremony for Headquarters, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the Virginia National Guard, 2008.  (The U.S. Army)

—Chad Blair