FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 17, 2005

Freshman GOP Senators Issue Joint Statement
Call on Senator Durbin to Apologize

WASHINGTON – Freshman Senators Richard Burr – NC, Tom Coburn – OK, Jim DeMint – SC, Johnny Isakson – GA, Mel Martinez – FL, John Thune – SD and David Vitter – LA today issued the following statement in response to comments made by Senator Dick Durbin – IL on the Floor of the United States Senate comparing U.S. troops to Nazis, Soviets and others:

“As freshman Senators, we recently campaigned to change the tone in Washington and accomplish great things on behalf of the American people. We are united in our support for our troops in the ongoing War on Terror. We found Senator Durbin’s remarks to be highly offensive and dangerous. This rhetoric is harmful to our soldiers and emboldens our enemies. We call on Senator Durbin to issue an apology to the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces.

“The American Armed Forces are the best in the world and to compare them with Nazis, Soviet Gulags, or Pol Pot is outrageous. Millions of innocent people were murdered in death camps under these evil regimes.”