Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia Issues Statement About her Meeting at the Pentagon with Army Secretary About Spc. Vanessa Guillen’s Case

WASHINGTON, DC –Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) issued a statement about her meeting earlier today at the Pentagon with Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy and other Army officials about Spc. Vanessa Guillen's case. The Congresswoman was joined by Congressman Gil Cisneros (CA-39), LULAC National President Domingo Garcia, and LULAC CEO Sindy Benavides.

At the urging of Congresswoman Garcia and LULAC, Army Secretary McCarthy agreed to recommend that the Department of Defense Inspector General's Office conduct a full and independent investigation into the handling of Vanessa Guillen's case, including the sexual harassment and assault allegations raised by the family.

The Army Secretary also indicated that he will appoint an independent panel of experts that will conduct an independent and comprehensive review of the command climate and culture at Fort Hood that could bring about necessary reforms in the military. Army Secretary McCarthy also made a commitment that he wants this independent panel to be diverse and inclusive and will take into consideration requests from Congresswoman Garcia, Congressman Cisneros, and LULAC for the independent panel to be majority women.

According to Army Secretary McCarthy, all findings from this independent panel will be referred to Congress for further legislative action.

"I was heartened by Army Secretary McCarthy's commitment to a full and independent investigation into Vanessa Guillen's case, including the sexual harassment and assault allegations raised by Vanessa's family," said Congresswoman Garcia. "Vanessa was my constituent, and her tragic murder cannot be forgotten. Her family deserves answers. There must be justice for Vanessa, and we must ensure that this never again happens to another soldier."

Congresswoman Garcia added, "I am hopeful that this independent panel of experts will be representative of America, and that women will have a seat at the table. I made it clear to Army Secretary McCarthy that the panel must be majority women and that their full findings must be referred to Congress. We must seize this moment to ensure that our women and men in uniform have the support structures they need to feel safe on our military bases, including mechanisms that will take sexual harassment and assault allegations seriously."

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Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2018, becoming the first Latina ever to represent the Texas 29th Congressional District. She serves on the House Judiciary and Financial Services Committees.