Speier Calls Congress 'Enablers of Sexual Assault'

Jackie Speier

Lawmakers came down hard today on military leaders, the morning after allegations emerged of another head of a military sexual assault prevention program engaging in the very behavior he was charged with stopping.

Late Tuesday the Army announced that the coordinator of a sexual assault prevention program at Fort Hood, Texas, is under investigation "for pandering, abusive sexual contact, assault and maltreatment of subordinates." He has been suspended from all duties while his case is investigated by the Army's Criminal Investigative Command.

That report came a week after the lieutenant colonel in charge of the Air Force's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office was arrested for the alleged sexual battery of a woman in a parking lot near the Pentagon.

"Another sex scandal rocks the military," Rep. Jackie Speier said Wednesday. "Is Congress really going to stand by and let the military handle this? "Congress has been an enabler of sexual assault by not demanding that these cases be taken out of the chain of command."

Rep. Speier has a bill pending in Congress that would do precisely that, called the STOP Act. Staff for Speier said the U.S. Capitol Police are investigating threats against the congresswoman.

Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin said these reports were evidence of "a disgraceful culture of abuse" within the armed services.

"Reports of a soldier at Fort Hood, Texas, assigned to prevent and report sexual assaults, being accused of serious sexual misconduct, abuse, and maltreatment of soldiers is reprehensible," Sen. Durbin, D-Ill., said in a statement released Wednesday. "Next week, the Army will be before my subcommittee and they will face tough questions about these accusations."

Other lawmakers on Twitter called the Fort Hood scandal " unacceptable," " horrific" and " v[ery] disturbing."

Tuesday Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered that all of the military's sexual assault prevention coordinators and military recruiters to be retrained, re-credentialed and rescreened.

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Soldier in sexual assault office accused of abuse

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army says the coordinator of a sexual assault prevention program at Fort Hood, Texas, is under investigation for "abusive sexual contact" and other alleged misconduct. He has been suspended from all duties.

The announcement Wednesday evening came just days after the arrest of the Air Force's head of sexual assault prevention on charges of groping a woman in a northern Virginia parking lot.

The Army said a sergeant first class, whose name was not released, is accused of pandering, abusive sexual contact, assault and maltreatment of subordinates.

He had been assigned as an equal opportunity adviser and coordinator of a sexual harassment-assault prevention program at the Army's 3rd Corps headquarters at Fort Hood when the allegation arose.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered the Army to fully investigate.

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Statements On Maryland Legislature's Passage Of Assault Weapons Ban And Limits On Ammunition Magazines

State's Gun Reform Package Will Reduce Gun Violence, Protect Maryland Families and Law Enforcement Officers, and Help Save Lives; www.DemandAction.org

NEW YORK, April 4, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following the Maryland Legislature's passage of gun safety legislation that includes a ban on military-style assault weapons and limits on high-capacity ammunition magazines, among other measures, the co-chairs of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, as well as Maryland mayors and family members who have lost loved ones to gun violence, issued the below statements.

Mayors Against Illegal Guns has 17 mayors in its national bipartisan coalition from Maryland, which is just the latest state to pass stronger and commonsense gun laws, joining New York, Colorado, and most recently Connecticut.

Mayors Against Illegal Guns Co-Chairs

"Maryland has joined a growing number of states across the country that are taking swift and meaningful action to reduce gun violence in America," said Mayors Against Illegal Guns Co-Chair and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. "Thanks to the leadership of state lawmakers and Governor O'Malley, Maryland's citizens will be safer, its law enforcement officers will be better protected, and its communities will be free from military-style weapons. Our nation deserves the same commonsense reforms to keep Americans out of the line of fire – and together with leaders in Maryland and around the country, we will continue to push Congress to take action."

"This package of commonsense legislation that Maryland passed will help save lives across the state," said Mayors Against Illegal Guns Co-Chair and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino. "Governor O'Malley and state legislators have done their part to help reduce gun violence in this country, and I applaud their courage on this critical issue. Now, we need Congress to do its part by making sure that gun safety reform becomes the law of the land. Americans everywhere need to keep the pressure up and demand action from their leaders in Washington."

Maryland Mayors

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake of Baltimore

"The Maryland General Assembly has taken decisive action to help reduce gun violence in Baltimore and throughout Maryland. In the face of tremendous pressure from special interests looking to protect the status quo, our leaders were bold and courageous. I want to thank Governor O'Malley, Senate President Miller and House Speaker Busch for their leadership and commitment to the people of our state. It's time for Congress to follow the growing number of states that have passed commonsense by taking up its own legislation that will reduce gun violence and save lives. The American people clearly demand action."

Mayor Andrew Fellows of College Park

"The massacre at Newtown last December shocked the nation. Barely 100 days later, I'm gratified that our state legislators have responded so quickly and nimbly. The comprehensive bill legislators approved will keep Maryland safe, giving us peace of mind that purchasers cannot buy guns on behalf of criminals, lost and stolen guns will not go unreported, and police will no longer be gunned down by weapons that belong on the battlefield. I hope our state will serve as a model for the nation."

Mayor Sidney Katz of Gaithersburg

"I applaud the members of the Maryland General Assembly for passing critical legislation that will increase public safety across our state. I look forward to the U.S. Congress following their lead. Our federal legislators need to pass major reforms that are supported by 9 in 10 Americans. Now is the time to enact comprehensive national laws that will protect lives and strengthen law enforcement."

Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio of Rockville

"Gun violence is wreaking havoc across the nation. But our lawmakers in Annapolis have taken decisive action to keep weapons of war off our streets, protect our law enforcement officers, and make our state a safer place for everyone. I applaud the Legislature for passing this package of sensible gun laws, and I hope our action will serve as a model for the country."

Family of Gun Violence Victims

Diane Xander, Wife of Mark Xander

"The legislation passed today will prevent more wives from losing their husbands and feeling the pain I've endured. But guns don't respect state borders, and this problem requires a national solution. Congress must now do everything in its power to keep guns out of the wrong hands."

About Mayors Against Illegal Guns

Since its creation in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 members to more than 900 mayors from across the country. We have more than 1.5 million grassroots supporters, making us the largest gun violence prevention advocacy organization in the country.  The bipartisan coalition, co-chaired by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, has united the nation's mayors around these common goals: protecting communities by holding gun offenders accountable; demanding access to crime gun trace data that is critical to law enforcement efforts to combat gun trafficking; and working with legislators to fix weaknesses and loopholes in the law that make it far too easy for criminals and other dangerous people to get guns.  Learn more at www.MayorsAgainstIllegalGuns.org

SOURCE Mayors Against Illegal Guns

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