Tammy Baldwin: “when President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave his farewell address in 1961, he spoke about the ``military-industrial…”

“when President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave his farewell address in 1961, he spoke about the ``military-industrial complex.'' He said, ``In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.'' It is forty years later, and yet his words still ring true. The corporations and organizations that profit so much from military build-ups are unaccountable to the American people. That was true in 1961, it was true on September 10th, 2001, and it remains true today. In America, the nation's military priorities ought to be set by the people. For that reason, I have been a harsh critic of our nation's military budget. I have regarded its priorities as misplaced. I have vehemently opposed deploying National Missile Defense. I have disagreed with the decision to build the F-22 Raptor. I have questioned the need for new attack submarines, battleships and guided missile destroyers. I lament our failure to adequately compensate the men and women who serve in the Armed Forces and our failure to keep our promises to our nation's veterans. I decry the failure to fully fund our non-proliferation efforts and nuclear disarmament programs. I have opposed every defense authorization and defense appropriation bill put before me since I came to Congress.…”