But for many lawmakers, this will also be an intensely personal choice. Republican Representative Wayne Gilchrest of Maryland said he had no qualms with breaking with his party on this issue. He had attended 21 funerals in his district for service members who died in Iraq or Afghanistan, he said. Two more were scheduled for this week.
"This is not about my party," said Gilchrest, who received a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star as a Marine in Vietnam. "This is not about party politics. This is about your conscience, your soul, your mind, your heart, your gut."
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