Contact: Speaker’s Press Office,

202-226-7616

Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued this statement after meeting with the family of murdered U.S. Army Specialist Vanessa Guillen, endorsing Congresswoman Jackie Speier’s I Am Vanessa Guillen Act to combat sexual harassment and assault in the military: 

“The United States Congress remains heartbroken and outraged at the murder of U.S. Army Specialist Vanessa Guillen.  We see courage in action when we witness Vanessa’s family in this meeting and every day since her murder.  

“Justice is needed for Vanessa, and for the many servicemembers facing an epidemic of sexual harassment and assault in our armed forces, too often in the shadows.  As Speaker, I am proud to support legislation introduced by Congresswoman Jackie Speier to stand with victims, survivors and their families to combat the scourge of sexual assault in the military.  This strong, bipartisan bill overhauls the military’s response to missing servicemembers and reports of sexual harassment and sexual assault – specifically, by making sexual harassment a crime within the Uniform Code of Military Justice and moving prosecution decisions of sexual assault and harassment cases out of the chain of command.

“I gave the family my commitment that this important first step to combatting sexual harassment and assault would come to the House Floor for a vote, but the Congress will not stop until we have finally, fully ended this epidemic – in the military, in the workplace, and in all places.”

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