Russ Feingold: “Under normal circumstances, it is likely that I would have opposed this bill. Under normal circumstances, I may have…”

“Under normal circumstances, it is likely that I would have opposed this bill. Under normal circumstances, I may have offered amendments to realign the Pentagon's lingering cold war mentality with the realities of the post-cold war world. Under normal circumstances, there would have been a more comprehensive debate on the proposed national missile defense system. But as we all know, these are not normal times. The tragedies that began to unfold in New York, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania on September 11, and the bold strike against terrorism that this country and our men and women in uniform are about to launch, demand a unified Congress and a unified nation. For those reasons, I will vote in favor of this bill. The events of the past three weeks have crystalized support for our Armed Forces and have made it very clear that we should ensure that they have the resources necessary for the daunting task that lies ahead. But this strong sense of unity does not require Congress to abdicate its responsibility to review closely the funding requests of the President, and it does not prohibit discussions about the direction of federal spending, including defense spending.”