Last night Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) took to the twitters to annoucne he’s co-sponsoring Senator Gillibrand’s Amendment which would improve how the military responds to rape and sexual assaults. Check out who else is behind this important amendment and what you can do today to help end the epidemic of rape and sexual assault in the Armed Forces.
Booker is one of the nearly 50 supporters of the Military Justice Improvement Act (MJIA) which ”moves the decision whether to prosecute” rape and sexual assault out of the chain of command and “to independent, trained, professional military prosecutors.” This would be a step against impunity enjoyed by attackers and embolden survivors to report the crimes because it would increase impartiality and decrease the chance of bias and retaliation.
BREAKING– as I write this, another Senator Dean Heller (R-Nev) has joined the list of supporters.
Let’s get the number even higher! We’re only 11 senators shy of the 60 needed to pass the amendment. Join another lunch-time twitter storm, which is being organized by SWAN (Service Women’s Action Network).
- Between 1 and 2 today, tweet at the senators who are not yet in support of the MJIA. (see the list below).
- To find their twitter handles, look here.
- Check out the sample tweets here. Use the hashtags #PassMJIA and #EndMilitaryRape.
- If your senator is on the list of non-supporters listed below, call him or her at 1-888-659-8549.
List of senators who have not expressed support for MJIA.
• Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
• Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)
• John Barrasso (R-WY)
• Max Baucus (D-MT)
• Roy Blunt (R-MO)
• John Boozman (R-AR)
• Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
• Richard Burr (R-NC)
• Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
• Dan Coats (R-IN)
• Tom Coburn (R-OK)
• Thad Cochran (R-MS)
• Bob Corker (R-TN)
• John Cornyn (R-TX)
• Mike Crapo (R-ID)
• Dick Durbin (D-IL)
• Michael Enzi (R-WY)
• Deb Fischer (R-NE)
• Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
• Lindsay Graham (R-SC)
• Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
• Dean Heller (R-NV)
• John Hoeven (R-ND)
• James Inhofe (R-OK)
• Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
• Ron Johnson (R-WI)
• Tim Kaine (D-VA)
• Angus King (I-ME)
• Mike Lee (R-UT)
• Carl Levin (D-MI)
• Joe Manchin (D-WV)
• John McCain (R-AZ)
• Claire McCaskill (D-MO)
• Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
• Jerry Moran (R-KS)
• Chris Murphy (D-CT)
• Bill Nelson (D-FL)
• Rob Portman (R-OH)
• Jack Reed (D-RI)
• Harry Reid (D-NV)
• James Risch (R-ID)
• Pat Roberts (R-KS)
• Marco Rubio (R-FL)
• Tim Scott (R-SC)
• Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
• Richard Shelby (R-AL)
• Jon Tester (D-MT)
• John Thune (R-SD)
• Pat Toomey (R-PA)
• Mike Warner (D-VA)
• Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
• Roger Wicker (R-MS)
Originally published on November 19, 2013 on Feministing.
katiehalper.com 