Congressman Mike Turner (OH-10), Co-Chair of the Military Sexual Assault Prevention Caucus, has been invited to the White House today to discuss the issue of sexual assault in the military. The meeting, today at 10:30am, will be with President Obama’s senior adviser Valerie Jarrett and Tina Tchen, the first lady's chief of staff. Turner yesterday teamed with Congresswoman Niki Tsongas (MA-3) to introduce the BE SAFE Act. The legislation addresses issues with Article 60 of the UCMJ’s convening authority, and creates an automatic discharge for conviction in major sexual assault cases.
“I look forward to today’s discussion at the White House. The president, as commander-in-chief has a responsibility to ensure the safety and morale of our men and women in uniform. This issue strikes at the heart of our servicemember’s ability to successfully carry out their duties. The president must lead and demonstrate to the leaders of our Department of Defense that sexual assault is not just bad behavior or a small problem, but a crime that must be taken seriously,” said Turner
Previously, Turner and Tsongas co-authored the STRONG Act and were successful in getting many of its provisions passed through the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in recent years.
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