Ruth Moore Act of 2013

Mr. Speaker, first, I want to thank my colleague from Maine, Mr. Michaud, for his time, for his leadership on the Veterans' Affairs Committee, and for sharing his brave constituent, Ruth Moore, with me.

I also want to thank Chairman Miller for his bipartisan work on this bill, as well as subcommittee chair, Mr. Runyan, and Ms. Titus, the ranking member, for their work on this issue as well. Thank you very much.

Mr. Speaker, lately it has been hard to escape the news about the crisis of sexual assault in the military. Senior military personnel charged with preventing sexual assault are themselves investigated or arrested for the very same thing.

A new Pentagon report showing 26,000 men and women were sexually assaulted in the military last year--up 35 percent. And only about one in 10 of those assaults were reported, and even fewer ended up with a prosecution. In fact, the Pentagon says that every week--every single week--400 sexual assaults go unreported.

But even though we've heard much more about this problem lately, in no way is it a new problem. Almost every day I hear from another veteran who is the survivor of sexual assault in the military. Men and women of all ages, from every branch of the service, from every era. I have heard from survivors of sexual assault from World War II, the war in Afghanistan, and every conflict and every era in between.

There is no question that we have to get to the root of the problem, that we have to reform the legal service and

change the culture so sexual assault in the military is no longer tolerated and is thoroughly prosecuted.

But the sad fact remains: even if sexual assault in the military ended today, even if a woman or man in uniform was never raped again, there would still be tens of thousands of veterans who survived a sexual assault and suffer a disability because of it, but still can't get veterans disability benefits that they are owed.

That's why we need this bill, the Ruth Moore Act. This bill doesn't create any new benefits for survivors of sexual assault. This bill doesn't give any special treatment to the survivors of sexual assault. This bill just levels the playing field and makes it easier for those survivors to get the benefits they are owed.

A few years ago, the Department of Veterans Affairs acknowledged that too many combat veterans were suffering from PTSD and they were being denied benefits because it was too difficult to document what happened to them on the battlefield. So the VA made a commonsense change. They said if you were in combat and a VA doctor gives you a diagnosis of PTSD, and if an examiner links that diagnosis to the combat you experienced, then you are eligible for benefits.

The Ruth Moore Act asks the VA to do the same thing for victims of military sexual assault. If a VA doctor gives a veteran a diagnosis of a mental health condition and there is a medical link to the sexual assault, then the VA will have to qualify the veteran for service- related disability benefits.

Currently, the VA requires ``secondary markers'' to show the sexual assault occurred. Those secondary markers--statements from relatives or friends or a supervisor--are often hard to come by, especially for veterans who suffered an assault years or even decades ago. In the case of combat-related PTSD, those secondary markers are no longer required and the sworn statement of a veteran is sufficient. The same reform should apply to survivors of sexual assault.

We named this bill after a very brave woman from Maine. Ruth Moore was in the Navy when she was 19, serving her country. At a base in the Azores she was raped. When she reported it, she was told to keep quiet, and then she was raped again. For 23 years she fought for the benefits she was owed. Her records were tampered with, she was diagnosed with mental illness, and her life fell apart. After decades of fighting, Ruth was finally given the benefits we owed her, and slowly she has put her life back together.

When I met her in my office in Maine 2 years ago, she could barely tell her story. Her friends, her neighbors, even many of her loved ones didn't know what had happened to her. But bit by bit, Ruth has rebuilt her trust of people in positions of responsibility to the point where she came here to Washington and testified before the Veterans' Affairs Committee--a very brave woman.

But there are thousands and thousands of Ruth Moores out there who have been fighting for their benefits for years or even for decades. As survivors of sexual assault, they have suffered and sacrificed enough. We can make the process of getting the benefits they are owed a little bit simpler.

I urge my colleagues to support this important bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I wholeheartedly support H.R. 671, the Ruth Moore Act of 2013. This bill was introduced by my colleague and good friend of mine from the State of Maine, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree. It is named after a constituent of mine, Ruth Moore.

This important legislation seeks to better serve those men and women who have become victims of military sexual trauma. This legislation makes clear that we expect the VA to update its regulations in regards to military sexual trauma, which we believe are outdated and do not reflect the needs of those who are living through this awful experience. This bill would encourage the VA to update its regulations to ensure that military sexual trauma is specified as an in-service stressor and that those updated regulations also recognize the full range of physical and mental disabilities that may result.

Mr. Speaker, VA did the right thing by our Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange by updating their regulations. We expect VA to also do the right thing by veterans who have been suffering from military sexual trauma.

H.R. 671, as amended, contains language to ensure VA follows through on the requirement to do better by those who have suffered military sexual trauma. It will dramatically increase the reporting requirements of VA in the event that these regulations are not updated within 15 months in an appropriate manner.

Let's be clear: Congress disagrees with VA's assessment that MST is being adjudicated effectively. We expect VA to take a good, hard look at this issue and update its regulations in a timely fashion. We will be watching, and we will be having oversight hearings to make sure that the reporting requirements are upheld.

I would urge my colleagues to support passage of H.R. 671, the Ruth Moore Act.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to yield 5 minutes to the author of the bill, the gentlewoman from my home State of Maine, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree.

At this time, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Negrete McLeod).

Mrs. NEGRETE McLEOD. Thank you, Ranking Member Michaud.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of H.R. 671, the Ruth Moore Act of 2013.

This bill specifies military sexual trauma as a type of stressor for posttraumatic stress disorder. This is an important step forward in assuring that the VA gives full consideration for disability claims originating from sexual violence committed against military personnel while they serve our country.

As a cosponsor of H.R. 671 and as a member of the Military Sexual Assault Prevention Caucus, I believe we must support our veterans who may confront challenges upon returning to civilian life. This includes obtaining compensation for violence committed by a fellow servicemember.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

In closing, today, we can take a meaningful step to ensure the VA better serves veterans who were subject to sexual trauma while serving in our military. These veterans' disabilities were not the result of fire from the enemy, and they were not the result of injury incurred during training. They were the result of the armed services' continual failure to systematically address the culture of sexual assault in the military.

This situation is unacceptable and unconscionable, and we must act. With this legislation, we hope to ensure that the VA helps these disabled veterans. We have a duty to make the lives of these men and women a little better. They never should have had to deal with these events in the service of our Nation anyway, so I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.

I also want to thank the chairman of the full committee and the chairman of the subcommittee and their staffs for their hard work in bringing this bill before the floor for us to vote on today. I know the committee staffs on both sides of the aisle have worked very hard to amend this bill so that it's acceptable to both sides of the aisle. I thank the chairman for all his hard efforts, not only on this legislation, but also on legislation as it affects veterans and their families throughout the country.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 671) to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the disability compensation evaluation procedure of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for veterans with mental health conditions related to military sexual trauma, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and add any extraneous material they may have on H.R. 671, as amended.

I yield myself such time as I might consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 671, as amended, will demand that the Department of Veterans Affairs place an immediate and concerted focus upon updating and improving its regulations for processing claims based upon military sexual trauma, commonly known as MST.

Reported incidences of military sexual trauma have risen markedly in recent years, a disturbing trend affecting both women and men serving in the military. I have spoken with many servicemembers who have suffered MST, and one sentiment is commonly echoed--these servicemembers feel a sense of betrayal and lack of trust. They have said that they feel betrayed by their fellow military attacker; and, without proper handling of the crime, they also feel betrayed by their command and their service branch.

The Department of Defense must take the lead on this issue and must address military sexual assault and trauma throughout the ranks in the strongest possible terms. Additionally, our veterans who have suffered military sexual trauma who live with this sense of betrayal must be confident that they will not be further traumatized by the Department of Veterans Affairs when they seek necessary and proper assistance.

Survivors of MST must not be subjected to outdated and antiquated regulations of the Department.

VA's approach to claims of MST and its processing thereof require immediate and thoughtful review, and that is the intent of H.R. 671, as amended.

I want to thank Congresswoman Pingree for bringing this important bill to the committee. And I commend Subcommittee Chairman Runyan and Ranking Member Titus for their bipartisan work on bringing this bill to the floor today.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield as much time as he might consume to the subcommittee chairman of Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Runyan).

I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, we are ready to close if the ranking member is ready as well, so I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I think the words speak for themselves as well as the comments that have been made here on the floor. I would just close with this: that I urge all of my colleagues to support the Ruth Moore Act. I support H.R. 671, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I submit this statement in support of H.R. 671, the Ruth Moore Act of 2013, introduced by Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine.

This legislation makes it easier for veterans to receive benefits for disabilities (PTSD) that stem from sexual assaults. The Pentagon reports that the number of sexual assaults in the military has grown from 19,000 to 26,000 since last year. One in 3 servicewomen report having been sexually assaulted, but an estimated 86 percent of assaults are never reported.

Our military is a source of great strength and national pride, and we should expect nothing less than the highest standards of conduct, from rank and file troops to the upper echelons of leadership.

We must eradicate the criminal, violent acts of sexual assault, and we must remove institutional barriers that allow perpetrators to go unpunished and victims to be revictimized.

I agree with the provision of H.R. 671, which asks the Department of Veterans Affairs to lower the burden of proof to receive benefits. Currently, servicewomen are required to provide secondary evidence to show that the trauma occurred--a burden not required for other combat- related claims.

Let's stand up for our brave servicewomen by building a better system--one that honors and affirms them as members of the mightiest military force on the globe.

Mr. Speaker, as Ranking Member of the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health--and an original co- sponsor of the bill--I would like to express my wholehearted support for H.R. 671 and to urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this critical legislation.

I would also like to thank my colleague from Maine for introducing this important bill.

It is absolutely intolerable for any servicemember to be subjected to sexual assault while serving in our nation's armed forces.

It is also unacceptable that veterans are being denied treatment at the VA because they don't have adequate proof that the assault happened.

Under existing VA policies, a lack of military documentation and inconsistencies among VA regional offices have resulted in veterans, like Ruth Moore, being denied disability benefits.

For 23 years Ruth was told by the VA that she did not provide enough evidence proving the assault happened.

Instead of receiving the high quality VA care and benefits she had earned immediately upon separation, she had to fight and wait for over two decades for benefits.

Again, I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 671 to correct this injustice.