[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 118 (Thursday, July 13, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H5773]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AMENDMENTS TO NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
(Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire asked and was given permission to
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I applaud my colleagues for
passage of my three amendments to the National Defense Authorization
Act last night.
Two of my amendments would address our Nation's opioid crisis as it
impacts or Nation's servicemembers and veterans. They would direct the
Defense Department to study the effectiveness of their opioid
prescriber education policies and require Department providers to
counsel or give referrals to the VA for transitioning veterans that
suffer from addiction or chronic pain.
My third amendment would direct the Department of Defense to analyze
sexual coercion in the military as part of its annual report on sexual
assault.
While I commend the Department for their progress in reducing the
occurrence of sexual assault in the military, more work needs to be
done. Understanding sexual coercion is important to the safety of our
brave men and women, and important for our national security.
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