Members of Congress will take on sexual assault in the military in a big way this week.

On Tuesday, Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-C.A.) is bringing a military sexual assault victim as her guest to the State of the Union. Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and Rep. Chellie Pingree, (D-Maine) will introduce on Wednesday a bill that will help sexual assault victims in the military receive VA benefits.

I agree 100% – TX paper calls 4 civilian oversight in cases of military rape & sexual assault, not by chain of command bit.ly/156QPQV

— Jackie Speier (@RepSpeier) February 11, 2013

This comes after the House Armed Services Committee held an open hearing January 23rd on the sexual misconduct at Lackland Air Force Base in which 32  instructors were accused of sexual assault-related crimes against 59 trainees.

Air Force Chief of Staff General Mark Welsh III and General Edward Rice, Commander on the Air Education and Training Command, made up the first panel and the second panel consisted of two sexual assault survivors-retired Technical Sergeant Jennifer Norris and retired Chief Master Sergeant Cindy McNally, and Dr. David Lisack, a clinical psychologist specializing in sexual trauma.

Risking sexual assault to serve your country

Gen. Rice said that since the incidents were reported seven months ago, there has not been one report of sexual misconduct at the Lackland base.

"The key to success over the next weeks and months and years is to sustain the intense level of focus we have devoted to this issue over the past nine months," said Gen. Rice. FULL POST