WATCH: McCain Fights Amendment To Deal With Sexual Assaults In Military; Dies 50-49, Rubio Only Absent Senator (READ amendment)

Arizona Senator John McCain (R-AZ) passionately inveighed against a measure to change the way that intra-military sexual assaults are handled.  The Gillibrand (D-NY) amendment received 50

votes (and 49 votes opposed), but required at least 60 votes to be attached to the National Defense Authorization Act.

McCain (and others) criticized the proposal to establish an independent justice system for sexual assault charges, removing it from the current chain of command.

McCain said that "What her proposal is is rejected by literally every member of the military that I know that has years of experience.  We cannot remove the commanding officers from the chain of command, and that's what the Senator Gillibrand's amendment and effort has been, to remove the commanding officer from responsibility. And, I will steadfastly oppose it!"



The amendment was defeated when it failed to obtain the 60 votes necessary.  McCain and Flake both voted against it.  Ten Democratic Senators opposed it, and 14 Republicans supported it.  Senator - and Presidential candidate - Marco Rubio was the only non-voting Senator.

Here is the text of the (defeated) amendment:

  Sen. Gillibrand's Amdt.1578 Re: Military Sexual Assault Justice Process

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