Richmond, Va. (NewsradioWRVA.com) - The House of Representatives has passed the National Defense Authorization Act, which now moves to the Senate. During a media availability on Wednesday, Senator Mark Warner says the Senate is expected to follow suit at some point this week.
Warner says the legislation is significant for Virginia. It's got a 2.7 percent pay raise for active-duty military and additional investments in ship repair and continues to move forward on submarine purchases. Warner says that's important for national defense and, especially, for the economy of Hampton Roads. It also authorizes historic reforms for how the military investigates and prosecutes sexual assault and harassment cases.
New York Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand held a news conference on Wednesday pushing to change the way that serious crimes are tried within the military. She wanted an amendment in the Defense Act in the House but didn't get it. She wants proceedings out of military courts and into the hands of independent prosecutors. Warner says, in time, he's started to agree with Senator Gillibrand. He says there have been a disproportionate number of sexual assault cases that were not being handled in an appropriate way.
