GOP Lawmaker Slams Pentagon Over Opposition to Bill Fighting Increase of Sexual Assaults in Military

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) slammed the Pentagon over its opposition to a bill which would provide “self defense and combat training” in an effort to fight an increase of sexual assault in the U.S. military.

The bill, H.R. 1434, which was introduced by Luna on March 8, aims to “require a member of the Armed Forces” to take part in “self defense training once a month” as part of an effort to combat the rise in sexual assaults in the military.

Luna’s bill received opposition from the Department of Defense (DoD). In its statement sent to Luna, the DoD cited how the bill’s language “could re-traumatize many victims of 🚨Sexual Assault.” The DoD also said the bill went “against decades of efforts to improve treatment” with people who had been victims of 🚨Sexual Assault by not placing “a burden of physical resistance” on people who might’ve been unable to do so, and might provide counter training to “potential or alleged perpetrators.”

“The DOD’s response to my office says all you need to know about the state of our military right now,” Luna said in a statement