Timothy Roemer: “This morning as we sang the ``Battle Hymn of the Republic,'' one line has indelibly burned into my mind as I contemplate…”

“This morning as we sang the ``Battle Hymn of the Republic,'' one line has indelibly burned into my mind as I contemplate this vote: ``As he died to make men holy, let us die to make them free.'' We have had unprecedented death and grief in our country: firefighters going into the World Trade Center, never coming out, trying to fight for their fellow citizens; soldiers and sailors, dying at their desks of duty; heroes bringing down a plane in Pennsylvania so that we in this building might be free and live. Unprecedented death and sorrow. Mr. Speaker, it is never easy to cast a vote for war. We did not want this, we did not instigate this, we did not need this. We have no choice. Paraphrasing Winston Churchill: let us brace ourselves for our duties, and with justice, with firmness, with patience and fairness. Some day they may say this was their finest hour.”