Senators Set for Rematch on Military Sexual Assault Reform

Two democratic senators are on opposite sides of a bill seeking reform on military sexual assaults

Two Democratic senators could be gearing up for an ideological rematch on the best ways to curb sexual assaults in the U.S. military.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York said Tuesday she will reintroduce a bill that would remove the decision of whether to prosecute military sexual assaults from the military chain of command — a legislative effort which failed to move forward in 2014 after being opposed by the Pentagon, NBC News reported.

Pushing the bill again may put Gillibrand at odds with Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, who argues that reforming the military from within is the best path to change. She says the Pentagon has made strides in stemming sexual assault in part due to legislation she sponsored that was passed that same year.

But Gillibrand argues that despite attempts at reform, a "troubling command culture" in the military still seems to favor closing cases over pursuing justice.

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