Senator Patty Murray (above) is the Chair of the Senate Budget Committee. Her office issued the following last week.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Murray Press Office
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
(202) 224-2834
Senator Murray
Questions Navy, Marine Corps on Sexual Abuse
Recent report shows Marine Corps has
highest percentage of reported female sexual assault
Navy Secretary Mabus: “I’m angry about
it.”
WATCH hearing.
(Washington, D.C.)
– Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a
senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, expressed deep
concern for the high rates of reported military sexual assault during a Defense
Subcommittee hearing examining the Department of the Navy Fiscal Year 2014
budget request. Disturbing data about the rates of abuse was recently revealed
in the Department of Defense’s “2011 Health Related Behaviors Survey of Active Duty
Military Personnel.” The Pentagon survey showed the Marine Corps had the
highest percentage of abuse reported, with nearly 30 percent of females saying
they had been sexually abused during service. The Subcommittee heard testimony
from The Honorable Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy, Admiral Jonathan Greenert, Chief of Naval
Operations, and General James Amos, Commandant of the Marine
Corps.
“General Amos,
in your testimony you described a number of good steps you have taken to combat
military sexual assault in the Marine Corps,” said Senator Murray during the
hearing. “You also discussed how
sexual assault is entirely incompatible with the culture of the Marine Corps.
But I was very concerned by a recent USA TODAY article which discussed the
results of the Pentagon health survey. According to that report, of all the
services, the Marine Corps has the highest percentage of female servicemembers
reporting they were sexually assaulted. Do you have any thoughts on why this might
be?”
Senator Murray also
questioned Secretary Mabus about the new Department of Defense Instruction on
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Program Procedures, released by Defense Secretary Hagel on March 28,
2013. “I have been asked if I’m concerned about sexual assault,” said
Secretary Mabus during the hearing. “And my reply has been, ‘That is not
an accurate description and I don’t think it applies to either General Amos or
Admiral Greenert.’ I’m angry about it. This is an attack on our sailors and our
Marines. And it’s an attack from the inside. It’s something we simply have to
fix. If someone was walking around taking shots at random at our sailors and our
Marines, we would fix it. And this is no less of an attack on the integrity and
the structure of our force.”
Senator Murray’s
exchange with Secretary Mabus and General Amos can be viewed here. (starting at 59:43)
During a Senate
Budget Committee hearing on Tuesday, Chairman Murray announced she soon will be
introducing legislation to help prevent military sexual assault and protect
those affected.
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Meghan Roh
Press Secretary | New Media
Director
Office of U.S. Senator Patty
Murray
Mobile: (202) 365-1235
Office: (202) 224-2834