House Armed Services Committee Passes Chu, Cummings and Honda Provision to Curb Hazing in Armed Forces
Washington, DC (May 10, 2012)—Today, the House Armed Services Committee passed legislation that includes a provision introduced by Congresswoman Judy Chu, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Congressman Mike Honda (CA-15), CAPAC Chair Emeritus, and Congressman Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, to prevent hazing in the military.
Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-32), CAPAC Chair: “Step by step, we are taking action against hazing that military officials refuse to do. Today, we have reached a milestone in our efforts to hold the military accountable for hazing within its ranks. The sad part is it shouldn’t have taken the death of my nephew, Lance Cpl. Harry Lew, or the abuse of countless others to achieve these protections.”
Congressman Mike Honda (CA-15), CAPAC Chair Emeritus: “As the men and women in our armed services put their lives on the line in order to protect and defend our freedom and civil liberties, we must do our part to ensure their safety and freedom. Learning from the tragic cases of Marine Lance Corporal Harry Lew and Army Private Danny Chen, we must act now to ensure that the Department of Defense has effective hazing and harassment prevention and accountability policies. Our bill would provide the Pentagon with the necessary tools to effectively address the problem of hazing and harassment in the military, in order to guarantee that our brave service members are able to safely and honorably defend the citizens and the Constitution of the United States.”
Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (MD-07), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: “We must do all we can to eradicate hazing from our armed services and ensure that our servicemembers are held to the highest standards. This legislation will put in place key measures to curb hazing and hold accountable those who commit such heinous acts.”
Background: The House Armed Services Committee passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes a provision originally introduced by Reps. Chu, Cummings, and Honda as part of The Harry Lew Military Hazing Accountability and Prevention Act of 2012. This provision would require the Department of Defense to develop a comprehensive plan to prevent hazing and a national database to track hazing incidents. It would also direct the Secretary to submit recommendations to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and Manual for Courts Martial to improve efforts to address hazing incidents.
On March 6, Cummings, Senator Ben Cardin, and the Congressional Tri-Caucus (Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Black Caucus, and Hispanic Caucus) held a forum on military hazing and diversity in the armed services and the Coast Guard. The forum, and a later hearing held by the House Armed Services Committee on March 22, revealed several deficiencies and a lack of a coordinated response by the Department of Defense and the Coast Guard to deter, address, and track hazing incidents.
At the forum, Chu emphasized the need to promote diversity among military leadership in order to help eliminate race-related hazing. She cited her nephew Harry Lew’s suicide as an example that highlights the need for cultural sensitivity training and accountability among military leadership to enforce existing anti-hazing policies.
The full House is expected to consider the NDAA next week.
###
The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) is comprised of Members of Congress of Asian and Pacific Islander descent and members who have a strong dedication to promoting the well-being of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Currently chaired by Congresswoman Judy Chu, CAPAC has been addressing the needs of the AAPI community in all areas of American life since it was founded in 1994.