Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday formally endorsed changes to the way the military handles sexual-assault cases, becoming the first secretary to do so, and told lawmakers he would recommend the revisions to President Joe Biden.
The changes, which were recommended by a Pentagon commission that Austin convened, do not go as far as those sought by some lawmakers.
"As you know, my first directive as secretary of defense issued on my first full day in the office, was to service leadership about sexual assault," Austin said in remarks before the House Armed Services Committee.
"In the coming days, I will present to President Biden my specific recommendations about the commission's finding, but I know enough at this point to say that I fully support removing the prosecution of sexual assaults and related crimes from the military chain of command," he said. Saying he would work with Congress to make the changes, as required by law, Austin added, "We must treat this as the leadership issue it is."
Right before Austin spoke, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said that she would put a bill on the floor that would go further than what Austin was endorsing. That bill, sponsored by Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., would remove all serious crimes from commanders' hands. A similar bill has been pushed for nearly a decade by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., but she has faced push-back from the chairman and highest ranking members of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
"We will bring this bill to the floor, it will pass in the House. I hope that it will succeed in the Senate as, as well," said Pelosi, who was flanked by Speier, Gillibrand and members from both parties who support the measure.
Austin's appointed commission recommended the inclusion of a special-victims crimes unit inside an independent prosecution system, which also would cover domestic violence, but not other serious crimes as Gillibrand and Speier's measures would.