{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-warren-and-markey-welcome-independent-report-on-fort-hood-urge-immediate-action-to-protect-soldiers", "Senators Warren and Markey Welcome Independent Report on Fort Hood, Urge Immediate Action to Protect Soldiers", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MA", "Elizabeth Warren", "W000817", "www.warren.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 09, 2020\n\t\t\t Senators Warren and Markey Welcome Independent Report on Fort Hood, Urge Immediate Action to Protect Soldiers \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Senators called for an independent investigation into Ft. Hood after the disappearance and death of Brockton native Elder Fernandes, who died near the base in August\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Washington D.C. - Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass),\r\nmember of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Ed Markey (D-Mass) released\r\nthe following statement upon the release of the report of the Fort Hood\r\nIndependent Review Committee, which was tasked with investigating the command\r\nculture and climate at Fort Hood Army Base, near Killeen, Texas. The report's\r\nexecutive summary reveals pervasive deficiencies in the sexual harassment and\r\nassault reporting structure, a lack of clearly outlined procedures for\r\nresponding to reports of missing soldiers, and a command culture permissive of\r\nsexual harassment and sexual assault, among other problems. As a result of the\r\nreport's findings, the Army announced today they are firing or suspending 14\r\nFort Hood commanders and other leaders. \"The pervasive problems found by the independent investigation into\r\nFort Hood demonstrate a gross disregard by Army leadership and the Command at\r\nFort Hood for the safety and well-being of America's soldiers,\" said\r\nSenators Warren and Markey. \"It should not have taken the dozens\r\nof deaths of men and women of our armed forces at Fort Hood to trigger an\r\ninvestigation. \"While we appreciate the findings of the independent investigation,\r\nit's been clear that the Army's leadership must be held accountable for the\r\nharm caused by allowing a climate of harassment, fear, and retaliation to take\r\nhold for so long. The Army must make immediately clear what steps it will be\r\ntaking to address the problems outlined in the report. Top Army leadership\r\nshould testify before the Senate as soon as possible, and the incoming Biden administration\r\nmust continue to ensure that the problems caused by the lack of leadership and\r\nlack of care for the soldiers serving at Fort Hood are fully resolved. \"When a young person puts on the Army uniform it becomes our\r\nresponsibility to keep them safe,\" continued the Senators.\r\n\"The U.S. Army failed Sergeant Elder Fernandes, Specialist Vanessa\r\nGuillen, and their families and they, like the families of all of the soldiers\r\nwho have suffered at Fort Hood, deserve justice.\" In September, Senators Warren and Markey, and Congressman Stephen F. Lynch\r\n(MA-01) called\r\non the independent review panel investigating the command climate and\r\nculture at U.S. Army Base Fort Hood, Texas to include the case of Army Sergeant\r\nElder Fernandes in its review of the base. Sergeant Fernandes, a 23 year-old\r\nnative of Brockton, Massachusetts who was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division\r\nat Fort Hood, was found dead on August 25 after having gone missing on August\r\n17. Shortly after he was reported missing, public reports revealed that in May\r\nof this year Sergeant Fernandes had reported a sexual assault allegation\r\nagainst a member of his chain of command and also became the target of\r\nbullying, hazing, and harassment. Senators Warren and Markey along with Senator\r\nJohn Cornyn (R-Tex.) requested\r\nthe Senate Armed Services Committee hold a public hearing with Army\r\nleaders and the independent review panel to probe the findings and\r\nrecommendations of the independent review panel. Senator Warren led the\r\nMassachusetts Congressional Delegation in requesting\r\nthat the Department of Defense (DoD) Inspector General conduct a complete and\r\nthorough investigation of the circumstances that led to the disappearance and\r\ndeath of Sergeant Fernandes.  \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n###   \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 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": ["http://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senators-warren-and-markey-welcome-independent-report-on-fort-hood-urge-immediate-action-to-protect-soldiers"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.6686029955744743, "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"}