Washington, DC – This week, U.S. Representative Young Kim (CA-40) joined Reps. Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Don Bacon (NE-02), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), and Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) to introduce a bipartisan resolution (H.Res. 1510) recognizing September 25 as military sexual trauma (MST) Awareness Day.
On Wednesday, U.S. Representative Young Kim joined Reps. Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Julia Brownley (CA-26), and Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) at a Servicewomen and Women Veterans Caucus event recognizing Military Sexual Trauma (MST) Awareness Day and this bipartisan resolution.
1 in 3 women and 1 in 50 men experience MST during service as a member, whether active duty, Reserve, or National Guard.
This bipartisan resolution reaffirms Congress’s commitment to supporting MST survivors and encourages the Departments of Defense and of Veterans Affairs to expand MST-related services.
“Our service members are heroes who put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms we hold dear. We must do more to support those who have unfortunately faced military sexual trauma during their time in service,” said Rep. Young Kim. “I am proud to help introduce this resolution to shine light on military sexual trauma survivors as we work on bipartisan solutions to expand access to services, uplift survivors, and eradicate MST once and for all.”
“Sexual assault has no place in our armed forces. The burden of fear — of assault, harassment, or exploitation — should never be a part of military service. We must work together to create an atmosphere where all service members can serve without this dread,” said Rep. Houlahan. “As a veteran who served in the military in the 1990s, I experienced firsthand the unique challenges many servicewomen face. I care deeply about this issue because everyone who puts on a uniform deserves to serve in a safe, respectful, and supportive environment. Bringing awareness is important, but this is the first step. We still have lots of work left to do.”
In July, Rep. Kim introduced the Improving VA Training for Military Sexual Trauma Claims Act (H.R. 8879), a bipartisan bill with Rep. Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) to improve the standards and quality of training for contracted disability compensation examiners handling MST claims so that MST veterans filing a claim are not retraumatized during the medical disability examination process.
Read the resolution HERE.
