Press Releases
House Passes DelBene’s Fix for Survivors of Child Abuse
Washington, D.C.,
May 24, 2018
Congresswoman Suzan DelBene’s amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2019 passed in the House of Representatives. DelBene’s amendment fixed a disparity between her bipartisan Child Abuse Accountability Enhancement Act (H.R. 1103) and what was included in last year’s NDAA. DelBene heard about this issue firsthand from survivor Pennie Saum, who as a child suffered abuse at the hands of her father, an Army retiree. Her father was convicted and sentenced to 17 years in prison, and Pennie and her brother were awarded a civil judgment for $5 million in damages. However, because their father’s primary source of income is military retirement pay, existing law shielded him from paying a cent of the restitution he owes his children. “After hearing Pennie’s story, I was grateful last year’s NDAA included my amendment to get justice for her and other survivors of vile and horrific abuses. Today’s amendment builds on that progress and ensures the law no longer shields some convicted child abusers from paying the full restitution they owe,” DelBene said. “Anyone who falls victim to physical, sexual or emotional violence in childhood deserves the opportunity to seek justice, regardless of who abused them.” DelBene introduced the Child Abuse Accountability Enhancement Act, which was included in last year’s NDAA, but at the request of the Department of Defense, the final version of that bill insisted on capping the garnishment at 25 percent of the member’s disposable retirement pay. DelBene’s amendment that passed this week reverts back to the language in her original bill, removing the 25 percent cap on garnishment of military retirement pay to satisfy a judgement rendered for physically, sexually, or emotionally abusing a child. |