Sherrod Brown: “I missed today's votes on Iraq because I was attending the college graduation of my daughter, Elizabeth. But I want to…”

“I missed today's votes on Iraq because I was attending the college graduation of my daughter, Elizabeth. But I want to express my unqualified support for the amendment offered by my colleagues, Senator Feingold and Senator Reid. This amendment says that our entanglement in another country's civil war has gone on long enough. This amendment says that Congress must stop playing the role of spectator and start standing up for our over-taxed and inadequately protected troops. This amendment says we must stand up for their families. This amendment says that we have an obligation to support our men and women in uniform, not only by funding them, but by bringing them home. The funding for our troops is assured, whether they are deployed in Iraq or redeployed from Iraq. This amendment calls for their redeployment. Those who claim this amendment would cut off funding for our troops are actually saying that the President, if required to redeploy our troops, would instead cut off their funding. I may not see eye to eye with our President, but I don't believe him capable of that. The Feingold-Reid amendment says 'enough is enough.' A majority of Americans want our troops to come home. It is time to bring them home. I thank Senator Feingold and Leader Reid for having the conviction and the courage to stand up for our troops. Patriotism is not passive. It is not swayed by inflammatory rhetoric or false accusations.”