Jul 20, 2021
Press Release
Washington, DC - U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, delivered the following opening statement at a hearing on the findings and recommendations of the Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military.
Ranking Member Rogers' remarks as prepared for delivery:
I look forward to hearing from the Department and the Independent Review Commission about this new set of recommendations to better address sexual assault in the military.
This issue is important and complex.
Early on, servicemembers are taught the importance of mutual respect for their fellow Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, Guardians, and Marines.
Strong leaders setting clear expectations is essential to PREVENTING destructive behavior and sexual assault.
But when sexual assault does happen, the response must be timely and thorough.
And it must be backed by professional investigations.
These are complex cases.
The investigation and the court-martial process can be long, complicated, and extremely difficult for victims.
The Fort Hood Commission looked at three years of courts-martial, including 65 trials involving sexual assault charges.
Those cases had a conviction rate of only 22%.
Both victims and the accused deserve better.
I agree that the time has come to move the prosecution of rape, sexual assault, and related crimes to dedicated, uniformed, special prosecutors outside the chain of command.
Military criminal investigations also need to improve, especially at Army C.I.D.
I think that these changes will drive stronger cases.
Prosecution rates may decline as seasoned prosecutors take a hard look at these cases.
But the end result should be a higher overall conviction rate and increased trust in the military justice process and leadership.
That said, I still believe that commanders need full visibility into this new process.
I also strongly believe that commanders must retain full authority over all other offenses.
I look forward to hearing from our witnesses on how they see the way forward and where we can agree.