Dusty Johnson: “My oldest son returned from Afghanistan with the 101st Airborne just this week. We are proud to have him back. I wish…”

“My oldest son returned from Afghanistan with the 101st Airborne just this week. We are proud to have him back. I wish Members obstructing this legislation could go to Afghanistan and look at our forces in the north, at Baghram, our forces in the south in Kandahar, look them in the eye and tell them: We have other things to do; we don't want to pass this legislation that allows you to have the resources to conduct our war against terror, to defend American families all over this Nation. I cannot imagine what the Members obstructing this legislation must be thinking or how they could look in the eye our law enforcement officers, our firefighters, our first responders, our military, all of whom it appears to me are going to be suffering from the lack of passage of this legislation, not to mention the fact, as Senator Wellstone said so ably on the floor earlier today, this also contains the funding necessary to keep our Veterans' Administration health care program going through the remainder of this year, for the people who in the past have fought so hard to preserve our liberty, to preserve our democracy. We have a handful who apparently are going to renege on those obligations, as well. This strikes me as truly an outrage. I certainly hope Senator Lott will do all he can and that the President of the United States will do all he can to prevail on those Members of their political party to allow this legislation to move forward, to allow free up-or-down votes.”