Washington, DC – On Wednesday, September 16^th, Reps. Jackie Speier (D-CA), Chair of the House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee, Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX), John Carter (R-TX), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Pete Olson (R-TX), Jason Crow (D-CO), and Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. (D-CA) will introduce the bipartisan I Am Vanessa Guillén Act in honor of the late SPC Vanessa Guillén and survivors of military sexual violence who have bravely come forward in the wake of her disappearance and brutal murder. They will be joined at a press conference by the Guillén family and their attorney, Natalie Khawam. The bill responds to resounding calls for change by revolutionizing the military’s response to missing servicemembers and reports of sexual harassment and sexual assault by making sexual harassment a crime within the Uniform Code of Military Justice and moving prosecution decisions of sexual assault and sexual harassment cases out of the chain of command.

NOTE: Social distancing requirements are in effect on the Capitol grounds. Press is advised to keep 6-feet of space between cameras and one another.

Who:    

Congresswoman Jackie Speier (CA-14), MILPERS Chair

Congressman Markwayne Mullin (R-OK)

Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (D-TX)

Congressman John Carter (R-TX)         

Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (D-TX)

Congressman Pete Olson (R-TX)

Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO)

Congressman Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. (D-CA)

Natalie Khawam, Attorney for The Guillén family

Members of the Guillén family

                                 

What:                     Introduction of the I Am Vanessa Guillen Act

When:                    Wednesday, September 16, noon ET

Where:                   The House Triangle, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C.

Livestream:           https://www.facebook.com/JackieSpeier

 

Media Contacts:

Speier – Tracy Manzer / (202) 538-0641 or tracy.manzer@mail.house.gov 

Mullin – Meredith Blanford / (217) 264-4417 or  meredith.blanford@mail.house.gov

Garcia – Robert Julien / (202) 227-0330 or robert.julien@mail.house.gov

Escobar – Elizabeth Lopez-Sandoval / elizabeth.lopez-sandoval@mail.house.gov

Crow – Anne Feldman / anne.feldman@mail.house.gov

Cisneros – Cody Sibulo / cody.sibulo@mail.house.gov

Olson – MacKenzie Morales – mackenzie.morales1@mail.house.gov

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