WASHINGTON — 20,000 U.S. service members were sexually assaulted or raped in 2018, a 40% increase from 2016, according to the Department of Defense.
Since taking office, Republican Sen. Joni Ernst has tried to decrease the number through policy.
But a major change has yet to come.
Previously, Ernst did not want to take discipline out of the hands of the military commander. She emphasized the importance of cohesion in a military unit and maintaining the chain of command.
But the numbers aren't going down.
Ernst and Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York are now working together to get the Military Justice Improvement Act (MJIA) passed.
"What we have seen is no decrease even after a multitude of efforts, no decrease in the number of sex assaults, which is very concerning to me," Ernst said. "So what we will try and do now is remove the commander from the chain of command, but keep the commander informed of the decisions that are being made."
This is a proposal Gillibrand made years ago, but has worked with Ernst to tweak the legislation to make it a proposal they both agree with.
Under the proposal, there will now be a special prosecutor in charge of discipline of sexual assaults in the military.
"This bill is now filibuster-proof meaning we have the 60 votes to move it across the floor, should be it be brought for an individual vote," Ernst said. "We have the same bill cosponsored in the House presented by Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, and there are Democrats and Republicans joining on board in the House as well."
Ernst stresses this is how the process is supposed to work. It's not all the hot-button issues that garner headlines, but about working across the aisle and being willing to compromise.