Russ Feingold: “today I cast my vote in support of the 2005 supplemental bill for Iraq, Afghanistan, and tsunami relief. I do so despite…”

“today I cast my vote in support of the 2005 supplemental bill for Iraq, Afghanistan, and tsunami relief. I do so despite my strong objections to the administration's policy of continuing to fund our military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan through emergency supplemental bills, as if the needs of our men and women on the ground in these troubled countries comes as some sort of surprise. These needs should be addressed in the regular budget request so that they can actually be paid for, not placed on the tab of the American people so that debt can pile up. The American people deserve honesty in budgeting, and they deserve straight answers about just how long they should expect the United States to continue shouldering this extremely heavy burden in Iraq. Some have suggested that calling for straight answers somehow undermines the mission at hand. Nothing could be further from the truth. A clear vision, clear goals, and clear plans are essential to success. I hope the administration will articulate them soon. But this tremendously irresponsible budgeting and dangerously vague overall strategy do not change the fact that our troops on the ground need timely support, and I will cast my vote to see that they get it. I was in Afghanistan and Iraq less than two months ago, and I was inspired by the commitment and professionalism of the service men and women I met there.…”