PHOENIX – Representative Richard Andrade voiced his support today for President Biden's signing of an executive order that established sexual harassment as an offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). This milestone comes after the establishment of the I Am Vanessa Guillén Act and national support for more regulations regarding sexual harassment in the military.
“I applaud President Biden's action of signing an Executive Order to establish sexual harassment as an offense under the UCMJ," said Representative Andrade, D-Phoenix. "Last year's passing of HM2001 was a necessary first step in encouraging Congress to implement policies that better support survivors of military sexual trauma. What occurred to Vanessa Guillen and countless more service members is unacceptable and we must do more to protect those who sacrifice so much for our nation."
Army Private First Class (posthumously promoted to Specialist) Vanessa Guillén was sexually harassed and then brutally murdered in 2020 by her harasser, another soldier who later committed suicide to avoid capture. Phoenix Airman, 21-year-old Natasha Aposhian, was also murdered under similar circumstances to Guillén in the same year.
Learn more about the Executive Order here.
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