{"id":3292,"date":"2013-05-10T15:33:19","date_gmt":"2013-05-10T22:33:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/?p=4146"},"modified":"2022-10-11T13:52:52","modified_gmt":"2022-10-11T20:52:52","slug":"sen-gillibrand-credits-the-invisible-war-in-shaping-new-bill","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/sen-gillibrand-credits-the-invisible-war-in-shaping-new-bill\/","title":{"rendered":"Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand Credits The Invisible War with Shaping New Bill"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Invisible War<\/em><\/a> has received big love and recognition from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and MSNBC\u2019s Lawrence O\u2019Donnell. The New York Senator, who serves as the chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, plans to reveal a newly drafted bill next week that will address the issue of sexual assault in the military. She credited The Invisible War<\/em> (premiering May 13 on Independent Lens<\/em>) with shaping her approach.<\/p>\n

“One of the reasons why\u00a0The Invisible War<\/em> was so effective: It put a face on this issue,\u201d Sen. Gillibrand said on The Last Word With Lawrence O\u2019Donnell<\/em>. \u201cThose were real victims telling their stories. And that\u2019s why, as Chairwoman of the Personnel Subcommittee on the Armed Services Committee, my first hearing was on sexual assault and rape in the military, and I had the victims testify first to tell their stories.”<\/p>\n

At the top of the segment, O\u2019Donnell credited the documentary with drawing his and Sen. Gillibrand\u2019s attention to the issue.<\/p>\n

“This story has just mushroomed over time, starting with both of us seeing that amazing documentary, The Invisible War<\/em>, Kirby Dick made that really opened my eyes to this issue,” O\u2019Donnell said. “You\u2019re on the Armed Services Committee, you\u2019ve been studying it, and it\u2019s come to this point where we found this week Colonel\u00a0Jeffrey\u00a0Krusinski,\u00a0who\u2019s in charge of the Air Force\u2019s control of sexual assault cases, ends up charged with it himself. Hence the frustration you exhibited this week, a greater level of frustration than we\u2019ve had before.”<\/p>\n

Sen. Gillibrand will introduce a bill that enables victims of sexual assault in the military to file their case with a JAG prosecutor<\/a>, instead of their commanding officers. It would also prevent commanders from changing a verdict<\/a>, which they currently have the power to do.<\/p>\n

The Invisible War<\/em><\/a> premieres Monday, May 13, 2013 at 10pm (check local listings<\/a>).<\/strong><\/p>\n