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EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is taking aim at the Pentagon over its opposition to her bill that would combat sexual assault in the military by requiring service members to take monthly self-defense classes.
The bill, H.R. 1434, or the Stop Our Sexual Assault in the Military Act, comes as the annual number of sexual assaults in the military has increased. According to a 2021 Pentagon report, more than 4,000 assaults occurred in that year alone, an increase of 26% from the previous year.
"The DOD’s response to my office says all you need to know about the state of our military right now. It seems that the DOD prioritizes wokeness and imaginary solutions over equipping our service members with the right training to defend themselves and become a stronger fighting force for our country," Luna told Fox News Digital following the Pentagon expressing its opposition to the bill.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., attends a news conference with house and senate Republicans on the "debt crisis," on the west terrace of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
In its response to the bill shared with Fox News by Luna's office, the Pentagon said the classes "could re-traumatize many victims of sexual assault," go against efforts to improve the treatment of victims of sexual assault by instilling that "burden of physical resistance," and "would train potential or alleged perpetrators how to counter victim tactics."
The Pentagon also said the classes could affect its ability to train young service members in the proper skills "to navigate and develop healthy relationships."
Luna said the Pentagon's opposition would be "almost laughable" if the situation regarding sexual assault in the military were not "so grave."
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The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. (STAFF/AFP via Getty Images)
"The U.S. military continues to report extraordinarily high rates of sexual assault against active-duty service members, making clear this problem is not being addressed by whatever tactics the DOD currently swears by," she said.
"This is really one of the most absurd things I’ve seen, and as a veteran, it is highly disturbing that the DOD would shun plain common sense: our men and women in uniform should be equipped to defend themselves against attack, and opposing the use of self-defense and combat training does not set them up for success," she said.
Sexual assaults in the military have been on the rise, with more than 4,000 occurrences in 2021, according to the Pentagon. (U.S. Army)
"I thought it was the Department of Defense, not the Department of the Offended," she added.
Luna introduced the bill in March with the support of Democratic Florida Congressman Jared Moskowitz and a number of her fellow Republicans. The House Armed Services Committee has yet to vote on its passage.
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When reached for comment a Pentagon spokesperson told Fox News Digital "it would be inappropriate to comment on pending legislation."
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