Military Sexual Trauma

Independent evaluation she requested found big differences in how veterans are treated from one office to another Congresswoman Chellie Pingree led 31 of her House colleagues in asking the Department of Veterans Affairs to make changes in the way they handle disability claims for survivors of military sexual assault (MST). In a letter to Acting Secretary Sloan Gibson, Pingree and her colleagues h... Read more »

Says independent evaluation she requested shows big differences in how veterans are treated from one office to another >> >>The full GAO report can be viewed and downloaded here Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said today that a Governmental Accountability Office (GAO) report she had requested shows continued problems in the way the Department of Veterans Affairs treats veterans who were the victims... Read more »

Ruth Moore was first denied benefits in 1993; Pingree asked officials to reopen case and reconsider decision Officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs called Navy Veteran Ruth Moore today to tell her they had made a "clear and unmistakable error" in denying her veterans benefits in 1993 and agreed to pay her over $405,000 in back benefits owed to her. Moore was the victim of sexual assaul... Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree issued the following statement today, after the Department of Defense released their annual report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies. "This report shows progress in changing attitudes toward sexual assault at our country's service academies," Pingree said. "But it also shows there is still a lot of work to do. The report found that c... Read more »

Lawmakers vow to continue fighting to protect survivors of sexual assault Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) are demanding that the U.S. Director of National Intelligence once again eliminate a requirement that forces survivors of sexual assault in the military to declare whether they sought counseling for sexual trauma when applying for a security clearance.... Read more »

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree's legislation would make it easier for victims of assault The Vietnam Veterans of American (VVA) and Service Women's Action Network (SWAN) have joined the call for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to make it easier for survivors of military sexual assault to get benefits. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree has introduced legislation (the Ruth Moore Act) to make tho... Read more »

Pingree says VA efforts to communicate change fall short; sets up web page to help veterans For resources on the review process, go to pingree.house.gov/mstclaims Congresswoman Chellie Pingree welcomed the news that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has agreed to her request to reexamine previously denied disability claims from sexual assault survivors, but says the VA is doing a poor of jo... Read more »

House unanimously passes the Ruth Moore Act House unanimously passes the Ruth Moore Act For more information on the bill, go to pingree.house.gov/mst The U.S. House today unanimously passed a bill written by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree aimed at making it easier for veterans who survive military sexual assault to get benefits. "The Ruth Moore Act will make a big difference in the lives of tens o... Read more »

House subcommittee votes to direct the VA to update its policies for MST claims Resources, updates and bill information at pingree.house.gov/mst Congresswoman Chellie Pingree applauded a vote yesterday on the Ruth Moore Act by the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance as a step in the right direction. "It's encouraging that the committee has moved so quickly on the Ruth Moo... Read more »

Pingree's bill named for Maine veteran would make it easier for survivors of military sexual assault Pingree's bill named for Maine veteran would make it easier for survivors of military sexual assault A subcommittee of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a hearing today on a bill introduced by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree that would make it easier for veterans who are victims of sexua... Read more »