Why does something that seems pretty commonsense and has wide bipartisan support get stalled in the Senate? A case study is the current debate over how to address military sexual assault, an issue the Pentagon has grappled with for years.

Over those years, New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has built support for legislation to overhaul the military justice system to address this, and she recently hit a high-water mark, with more than 60 colleagues supporting the effort. But the legislation isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

CQ Roll Call senior editor Megan Scully, who has covered the issue for years, joins us on this episode of Political Theater to discuss why.

Show Notes:

• Military brass resists big changes to prosecution decisions
• Democrats’ backroom clashes over military justice erupt onto Senate floor
• Military sexual assault debate broadens to tackle racial inequities
• GAO faults Pentagon oversight of sexual offenses
• Martha McSally says officer raped her when she was in Air Force
• The Next Step in Curbing Sexual Assaults in the Military
• Air Force Sex Assault Arrest Highlight’s Filmmakers’ Quest