The Threat of the Chinese Communist Party

Floor Speech

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Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, one of the biggest threats we face today as a Nation is the threat of the Chinese Communist Party at home and abroad.

The fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act includes funding that protects the citizens of the United States from the imminent threat of the Chinese Communist Party. It requires the DOD to notify Congress of collaborative nuclear efforts between China and Russia and assess the cooperation between China and Iran on ICBM technology.

This year's NDAA counters aggression from the Chinese Communist Party on every front. It promotes processes for our small businesses to enter the market to work with the DOD in an effort to continue to grow the American small business economy and onshore manufacturing capacity to the United States.

Additionally, the NDAA recognizes the growing threat of the Chinese Communist Party to Taiwan, reaffirming U.S. support of the defense of Taiwan to allow Taiwan to defend itself and fully funds military exercises with our allies and partners in the Pacific to counter China's growing military expansion.

Further, the NDAA protects us at home by building up our cybersecurity capabilities and developing new emerging technologies in AI to help our soldiers defend against threats against our Nation and the largest pay raise in over 20 years of 5.2 percent, barely keeping pace with inflation, to help our enlisted and lower-paid servicemembers.

Supporting the NDAA is essential in making sure our soldiers and interests abroad are supported and defended to the highest standard, while also making sure that all of us at home in the United States are protected from threats, as well.

Mr. Speaker, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, it is estimated that 6 out of 100 people will have PTSD at some point in their lives. Sadly, the incidence of PTSD is higher in veterans and Active Duty servicemembers.

As a doctor, former director of the Iowa Department of Health, and a 24-year U.S. Army veteran, the mental, emotional, and physical health of my constituents and fellow veterans is one of my top priorities in Congress. For too long, PTSD and other mental or physical ailments have had devastating effects, and far too often, they go untreated.

The new FDA guidance that presents considerations for designing clinical trials for psychedelic drugs will give patients and their doctors increased access to effective treatments rather than alternatives such as opioids.

That is why I introduced the Veterans CARE Act to allow the VA to research the effectiveness of using medical cannabis for chronic mental and physical pain and why we have held roundtables on emerging breakthrough therapies.

I hope others will join me in supporting these novel forms of research that will benefit our heroic veterans.

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