Sam Gibbons: “as we continue to mourn the senseless loss of thousands of Americans, let us begin to ensure that the tragic events of…”

“as we continue to mourn the senseless loss of thousands of Americans, let us begin to ensure that the tragic events of September 11 never happen again. This week we will consider legislation to begin providing our military men and women the resources they have needed for years. According to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, the United States military needs ``every penny'' of the $343 billion provided in the fiscal year 2002 Defense budget, because in real terms the Defense budget has declined every year from 1985 until 1998. Our battle to combat terrorism will require dedication and commitment not only by our armed services and by the American public, but by Congress, this very Congress as well. We need to ensure that our military has every tool and resource available to enable them to protect freedom and liberty. Therefore, I encourage all of my colleagues to support the defense authorization bill, a down payment for our military to enable them to meet the challenges of today and to begin preparing for those of tomorrow.”