Investing in a Strong National Defense
As war rages on the doorsteps of our NATO allies, the United States is weighing the best path forward to provide additional support to Ukraine and hold Vladimir Putin accountable. The destruction and bloodshed in Ukraine are tragic, and I was moved by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's joint address to Congress earlier this week. I was pleased when the House took action on a bill for which I've been advocating to revoke Russia's trade privileges, a vote which President Biden and Democrats in Congress needlessly delayed. The world needs strong, decisive leadership from the United States, and President Zelenskyy has made it clear time is of the essence.
With my support, Congress has answered President Zelenskyy's calls for additional humanitarian and security assistance by passing legislation to provide $13.6 billion in aid for Ukraine. That same measure also provided additional resources to support our national security, increasing defense investments by roughly 6 percent.
While Europe's most significant conflict in more than 75 years continues, security concerns around the globe remain as America's adversaries in other parts of the world continue to look for vulnerabilities as well. As the free world rallies in support of Ukraine, other aggressors have taken the opportunity to escalate their postures.
In March, China announced a 7.1% increase in its military budget. This increase outpaces China's 2022 GDP growth rate target and continues China's aggressive trend of increased military investments, nearly tripling their military spending over the last decade. The Chinese Communist Party's denial of the independence of Taiwan is rightly another concern as China continues to seek any advantage it can toward reclaiming the island territory.
North Korea has fired or attempted to fire 14 missiles during ten rounds of launch tests in 2022 alone. Despite the failure of the most recent launch, North Korea's ambition to develop missiles capable of reaching the U.S. is a serious threat and should be treated as such.
On March 13th, an Iranian missile barrage hit near the U.S. consulate in Erbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq. Thankfully, there were no American casualties, and the consulate itself was not struck, but the attack is clearly an attempt by Iran to test our country and our leaders.
The Iranian missile strike also raises more concerns about the trajectory of the Biden administration's ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran. Reviving the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has been one of President Biden's most misguided foreign policy priorities. Iran is negotiating while continuing its malign practices. Congress should rigorously utilize our oversight capabilities to ensure we are not further empowering our adversaries.
As the world grows more dangerous, we must provide our military and defense experts the resources they need to ensure America has a strong defense posture at home and abroad. The interests of freedom are being tested, and America must stand firm against those who challenge us and our allies.