{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/pentagon-reports-on-sexual-assaults-mccaskill-looks-for-improvements", "Pentagon Reports On Sexual Assaults; McCaskill Looks For Improvements", "2014-12-04", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Pentagon Reports On Sexual Assaults; McCaskill Looks For Improvements \r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                Thursday, December 4, 2014\r\n            \r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            \r\n                  \r\n                    By:\u00a0\r\n                    Jim Howard\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            The Pentagon is set to release its first report today on the effectiveness of more than 30 reforms aimed at curbing sexual assaults in the military.\u00a0 Congress approved the measures last year at this time and President Barack Obama signed them into law in January. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\r\nU.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., one of the sponsors of the legislation, said she\u2019s hoping the report shows an increase in the number of reported sexual assaults because that would indicate confidence in the reforms on the part of victimized service members. Ultimately, the goal is for the military to see fewer incidents of sexual violence. McCaskill also wants to see \u201cwhether or not they feel they have been served appropriately and protected appropriately as they try to hold their perpetrators accountable.\u201d\r\nEven before the release of the report, McCaskill told Missouri reporters Wednesday that work needs to be done. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to continue to look at ways to improve the process and the rules around sexual assault and the uniform code of military justice, and we also have to look to make sure the reforms are working,\u201d McCaskill said.\r\nEvery year Congress passes the National Defense Authorization Act for the coming year. Known as the NDAA, it establishes policy priorities for the Pentagon, as well as establishing funding levels for everything from troop strength to pay and benefits for active members of the military.\u00a0 Just as with last year\u2019s reforms, McCaskill\u2019s new language is contained in the NDAA.\u00a0 The House is expected to take up the measure as early as today, with senators voting on the legislation next week.\r\nMcCaskill\u2019s office released a primer on things to look for in the Pentagon report.\u00a0 It also contains an outline of several of the key provisions approved last year, including:\r\n \r\nCommanders can no longer overturn convictions.\r\nVictims reporting a sexual assault now get their own independent lawyer.\r\nConvictions carry a mandatory minimum sentence of a dishonorable discharge.\r\nThe statute of limitations has been eliminated in sexual assault cases.\r\n \r\nKey provisions of the sexual assault reforms sponsored by McCaskill in this year\u2019s NDAA include:\r\n \r\nEliminating the so-called \u201cgood soldier\u201d defense under most circumstances.\r\nAllowing victims a formal say in whether their case is tried in military or civilian court.\r\nExtending protections to the military service academies.\r\n \r\nMcCaskill says the additional reforms \u201care commonsense ways to keep empowering survivors and holding commanders accountable to curb these crimes.\u201d\r\n            \r\n             \r\n            \r\n            \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/latest-headlines/pentagon-reports-on-sexual-assaults-mccaskill-looks-for-improvements"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.396245952695608, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}