John Ensign: “as our nation appears to draw closer to war, I rise with full consciousness of the burden that each of us has to help…”

“as our nation appears to draw closer to war, I rise with full consciousness of the burden that each of us has to help guide our nation during this time of peril. It is indeed a heavy burden to bear, but nothing compared to the burden of those who serve in our military. The vote to authorize the use of force in Iraq is one of the most difficult and important votes any of us will ever cast. We need to approach this issue as if we are sending our very own children to war because, in effect, we are voting to send our nation's children to war. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld recently told Congress that ``a decision to use military force is never easy. No one with any sense considers war a first choice.'' The risks of war are real but the risks of inaction may be even greater. As Ronald Reagan put it in his first inaugural address, ``I do not believe in a fate that will fall on us no matter what we do. I do believe in a fate that will fall on us if we do nothing.'' The threat posed by Saddam Hussein's regime is growing with each passing day.”