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Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) [Official Senate Photo]
Wisconsin’s Senator Russ Feingold (D) was the lone dissenter Tuesday when the Senate voted on an amendment to the 2010 Defense Authorization bill that would fund a 30,000 troop expansion in Afghanistan. The amendment to S-1390, introduced by Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) was approved 93-1.
Feingold published a formal statement Wednesday saying, “I am sad that this has been the deadliest month for our service members in Afghanistan since the war began nearly eight years ago. I continue to be concerned that the troop increase in Afghanistan will lead to more grim milestones like this one and will not have a lasting impact on our ability to deny al Qaeda a safe haven in that region. Indeed, I am concerned that the so-called surge may actually make matters worse by pushing militants into Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation which is still not effectively dealing with terrorist sanctuaries in that country.”
Feingold interviewed by The Nation regarding defense funding vote
Feingold told The Nation magazine’s Jeremy Scahill that “it’s never easy” being the only one to oppose a popular measure. Scahill reminded his readers in a story posted online today that Feingold was the only senator to vote against the Patriot Act in 2001. The Senator said he does worry that people will try to distort what he is doing and will say that he doesn’t support the troops. “…I do--I feel very strongly. But I don't think putting more and more of our troops into a situation that may not make sense is a way to support the troops or protect our country. It's a tough role to play. It's a role that I feel I'm obligated to play," the Senator was quoted as saying in the artcle.
According to the AP news service, 35 U.S. troops have died in Afghanistan so far this month. But the U.S. Military released information saying two more have died since that report, bringing the total up to 37.
Feingold votes to stop production of F-22 Fighter Jets
Feingold also voted – this time with the majority - to end production of the F-22 Fighter Jet, considered to be outmoded aviation technology unsuitable for use in the Middle East conflicts.
About this legislation, Feingold said, “The Senate’s passage of this amendment [to strip the funding] is a victory for the Armed Forces and American taxpayers. Now defense dollars can be freed up to address real world threats and fill gaps in our defense capabilities. I applaud Senator Levin, Senator McCain and the administration for their leadership on this effort to help ensure that we are spending our defense dollars wisely.”
Senator Feingold is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senate Intelligence Committee.
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