House Debates Velazquez Military Hazing Amendment

Washington, DC – An amendment authored by Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY-07) to curb hazing in the United States Armed Forces will be debated today on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. The measure is aimed at preventing tragedies like the one that befell Danny Chen, a native of New York’s 7th Congressional District. Chen, an Army private, was beaten and harassed by members of his unit, before he died in Afghanistan in 2011.

“The brave young men and women who serve our nation abroad deserve respect and honor, not hazing and abuse,” Velázquez said. “While we can never bring Private Chen back, we can work to prevent similar tragedies in the future.”

The amendment is being offered to broader legislation reauthorizing the Department of Defense. If adopted by the House and signed into law, Velázquez’s legislation would require representatives from each of the military branches and the Department of Defense to work with minority advocacy organizations in forming an oversight panel to prevent and respond to incidents of hazing.

“It is critical the Armed Forces make hazing a priority at the highest levels of leadership,” Velázquez added. “This amendment would push the military to be proactive in how it addresses these incidents and, equally important, ensure training and education programs are in place to prevent abuses before they occur.”

Hazing and suicide continue to be major issues confronting the U.S. military. While the Armed Forces do not keep official statistics tallying the number of hazing incidents, a record 350 active-duty personnel took their own lives in 2012.

The Department of Defense Authorization bill reauthorizes all of the Armed Forces and governs how they operate for the next year. After being considered in the House the measure will need to be taken up by the Senate before being sent to the President to be signed into law.