Washington ? Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has decided to personally sign condolence letters to the family members of U.S. troops killed in action rather than letting a machine affix his signature.

Republican and Democratic members of Congress criticized the embattled Pentagon chief Sunday for not signing the letters himself.

“My goodness, that’s the least that we could expect of the secretary of defense, is having some personal attention paid by him,” said Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., noting that President Bush signs such letters.

In a statement Friday, Rumsfeld announced the change in policy and said more than 1,000 condolence letters had gone out to relatives of Americans killed in military action during the fight against terrorism.

“While I have not individually signed each one, in the interest of ensuring expeditious contact with grieving family members, I have directed that in the future I sign each letter,” Rumsfeld said in the statement.

The statement, which was reported Friday by the military newspaper, Stars & Stripes, did not specifically refer to troops killed in Iraq, though family members of soldiers who died there told the newspaper they were angry with Rumsfeld’s apparent stamped signature.

The signature flap was the latest in a stinging string of criticism in recent weeks directed at Rumsfeld.

But Rumsfeld won a vote of confidence from Bush chief of staff Andrew Card on Sunday.

“Secretary Rumsfeld is doing a spectacular job,” Card told ABC’s “This Week.”