Action

You – and we – are not alone in our determination to end the abuse experienced by women in service. Several of our lawmakers have introduced legislation to increase transparency and provide protection. This is a solution in progress, and the more that citizens follow its progress the better it will be.

Supporting our women in uniform is an important priority for the 112th Congress. A specific interest of members of congress is enhancing the health, safety, and security of women who are working to protect and defend our nation.

Representative Bob Filner (D-CA) has introduced a comprehensive bill relating to women in the military. His bill would direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to display in each facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs a Women Veterans Bill of Rights (H.R.809). The bill of Rights covers an extensive set of issues affecting women veterans including health care, employment, homelessness, disability, pension and burial assistance.

In addition to Rep. Filner’s bill, there are a number of bills focusing specifically on the health, safety and security of women in the military. At least two of these bills focus on the issue of sexual assault.

• The Defense STRONG Act (S. 1018/H.R. 1529) was introduced in the Senate by Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) and in the House by Representatives Niki Tsongas (D-NH) and Michael Turner (R-OH). This bill addresses the prevention and treatment of sexual assault among service members.
• The Support for Survivors Act (S.658/H.R. 1260) addresses the sexual assault among service womenintroduced in the Senate by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski, (R-AK) and Claire McCaskill (D-MI) and introduced in the House by Representative Bruce Braley (D-IA).

The YWCA strongly supports all of these bills. To learn more about these bills, click here. If your member of Congress has signed onto either of any bills, please take a moment, call their office, and thank them for standing with women service members! To find your Representative and Senators contact information, click here.

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