Guillén bill addresses ‘endless cycle of harassment’ in military
Members of Congress introduced the I am Vanessa Guillén Act of 2020 on Wednesday, a bill that would drastically change how the military investigates sexual offenses reported by active-duty members.
The bill is named after the Houston native who was killed on April 22 inside the Fort Hood Army base in Killeen after telling her family and friends another soldier sexually harassed her. She did not report the incidents to military personnel for fear of retaliation, her family said.
“The endless cycle of harassment, assault, and retaliation for those who speak reveals the deep roots of a toxic culture we must eradicate so that survivors are taken seriously and treated with respect, and assailants are held accountable,” U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-calif., author of the bill, told the Houston Chronicle.
At a news conference on Capitol Hill, Speier compared the impact of this bill to the Me Too movement that shook the status quo of sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace and civilian life in 2017.
“This is the military’s Me Too moment, and we are going to take full advantage to amplify it and to cause the kind of changes that we believe should take place,” said Speier, chair of the House Armed Services Military Personnel congressional subcommittee.
Dressed in black and white, Guillén’s parents Gloria and Rogelio Guillén and sister Lupe stood together in silence while the elder sister spoke in the family’s name.
“She is now an American hero that will save American lives” in the military, said Mayra Guillén.
The bill would amend several sections of Title 10 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
One change would create a separate military charge for sexual harassment offenses. Currently, the offenses fall under four general articles, or charges, such as maltreatment of a subordinate, misconduct or violation of general orders.
Another change would establish an independent investigation using professionals outside the complainant’s chain of command.
When sexual harassment is reported, the incident is typically investigated by another service member in the unit who has little or no training or experience in investigating sexual harassment, a document from Speier’s office says.
Internal command investigators are particularly problematic, and “abysmal reporting rates help demonstrate that many service members do not trust their commands to address their harassment,” the document reads.
“The issue of sexual assault and sexual harassment in the military isn’t a Democrat or Republican issue; it’s an American issue,” said
U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin, Rokla., a sponsor of the bill. “This is about protecting our men and women in uniform and I will keep fighting so no family has to go through what the Guillén family has gone through.”
U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-texas, the congresswoman in Guillén’s district who was instrumental in pushing for an investigation in the case,
said that the Army failed the soldier but that the bill would bring comprehensive changes in her name. She held back tears in an emotional moment while quoting words from the soldier’s mother, a native of Mexico. “Mi hija es historia; ella va a salvar muchas vidas (My daughter is history; she will save many lives).”
Speier said that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi agreed to take the bill to the House floor for voting, which could happen as soon as in a few weeks or before the end of the year. The author of the bill added that it currently has 73 cosponsors but still needs 90 more.
Natalie Khawam, the attorney representing the Guillén family, urged people to help in passing the bill. “Please call your congressman,” she said. “Enough is enough. We didn’t have to lose Vanessa; we didn’t have to lose any of these soldiers. They fought for us; it’s time we fight for them.”