[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 119 (Wednesday, July 12, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H3217]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               THE THREAT OF THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaMalfa). The Chair recognizes the 
gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks) for 5 minutes.
  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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