02-28-2022, 11:11 AM
A California lawmaker has introduced a bill that would require the Government Accountability Office to
investigate the involuntary discharge of thousands of women from military service from the 1950s to the
1970s due to pregnancy or motherhood -- something that could end up restoring benefits to those who lost
them through unwarranted dismissals. Democratic Rep. Julia Brownley on 8 APR introduced the "Justice
for Women Veterans Act," which would commission a study to identify "irregularities in discharges that
may have left these women without the veterans' benefits that they earned," according to a release.
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"The unfair practice of discharging women from the military because they became pregnant or became
a mother was not only wrong but it perpetuated a harmful cycle of gender prejudice," Brownley said in the
release. "My goal is to identify disparities in access to care and benefits for women veterans and, where
necessary, introduce, advocate for, and pass legislation that fixes those gaps." The study would look at
involuntary discharges between 1951 and 1976, when Executive Order 10240 was in effect. Signed by
President Harry Truman on April 27, 1951, it stipulated that women could be removed "regardless of rank,
grade, or length of service." During that time, the Pentagon granted discretionary authority to the service
branches to discharge women due to pregnancy, childbirth or becoming parents or stepparents through
adoption.
Brownley's office said the policy was prejudiced against "thousands of women who became pregnant,
regardless of whether the pregnancy was planned, unplanned, or the result of sexual violence." Women
were not given the courtesy of separation benefits, counseling or any type of assistance despite their removal
from the armed forces, the release states. The GAO will look at the executive order's impact, including how
women of a particular race or ethnicity may have faced other discrimination. The congressional watchdog
will make recommendations on the best ways to potentially restore those benefits, the release adds. "This
bill is the first step in assessing the impact of this discriminatory practice against servicewomen and will
provide recommendations on how to restore fairness for these women veterans," Brownley said.
The review would be similar to an investigation released in May 2017 into other-than-honorable
discharges of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury. The GAO found that,
of roughly 92,000 service members discharged for misconduct between 2011 and 2015, two-thirds "were
diagnosed with PTSD, TBI or other conditions such as adjustment, anxiety, bipolar or substance abuse
disorders within two years before leaving the service." That GAO study also said the military services were
inconsistent in considering whether service-connected medical issues contributed to the misconduct.
investigate the involuntary discharge of thousands of women from military service from the 1950s to the
1970s due to pregnancy or motherhood -- something that could end up restoring benefits to those who lost
them through unwarranted dismissals. Democratic Rep. Julia Brownley on 8 APR introduced the "Justice
for Women Veterans Act," which would commission a study to identify "irregularities in discharges that
may have left these women without the veterans' benefits that they earned," according to a release.
Advertisement
"The unfair practice of discharging women from the military because they became pregnant or became
a mother was not only wrong but it perpetuated a harmful cycle of gender prejudice," Brownley said in the
release. "My goal is to identify disparities in access to care and benefits for women veterans and, where
necessary, introduce, advocate for, and pass legislation that fixes those gaps." The study would look at
involuntary discharges between 1951 and 1976, when Executive Order 10240 was in effect. Signed by
President Harry Truman on April 27, 1951, it stipulated that women could be removed "regardless of rank,
grade, or length of service." During that time, the Pentagon granted discretionary authority to the service
branches to discharge women due to pregnancy, childbirth or becoming parents or stepparents through
adoption.
Brownley's office said the policy was prejudiced against "thousands of women who became pregnant,
regardless of whether the pregnancy was planned, unplanned, or the result of sexual violence." Women
were not given the courtesy of separation benefits, counseling or any type of assistance despite their removal
from the armed forces, the release states. The GAO will look at the executive order's impact, including how
women of a particular race or ethnicity may have faced other discrimination. The congressional watchdog
will make recommendations on the best ways to potentially restore those benefits, the release adds. "This
bill is the first step in assessing the impact of this discriminatory practice against servicewomen and will
provide recommendations on how to restore fairness for these women veterans," Brownley said.
The review would be similar to an investigation released in May 2017 into other-than-honorable
discharges of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury. The GAO found that,
of roughly 92,000 service members discharged for misconduct between 2011 and 2015, two-thirds "were
diagnosed with PTSD, TBI or other conditions such as adjustment, anxiety, bipolar or substance abuse
disorders within two years before leaving the service." That GAO study also said the military services were
inconsistent in considering whether service-connected medical issues contributed to the misconduct.