Wes Hickman (202) 224-5972 or Kevin Bishop (864) 250-1417

WASHINGTON– U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made the following statement following the Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. The vote in committee was 10-8. Senator Graham supported the nominee. “Judge Alito is one of the most historically qualified nominees to ever come before the Senate. He’s very much a mainstream conservative and will serve with distinction on the Supreme Court. I was proud to support his nomination in the Judiciary Committee and look forward to voting for him again on the Senate floor. “Judge Alito has fifteen years of judicial experience on the federal bench and has received rave reviews from every corner of the legal community. The American Bar Association rates him as unanimously well-qualified, their highest rating for a position on the Supreme Court. People who work with him, even those who disagree with him, say he is a kind, decent man who is a judge’s judge. “Chief Justice John Roberts received 50 percent of the Democratic caucus vote and he's one of the most stellar nominees in the history of the country. Judge Alito is one of the most well qualified nominees in 70 years and he'll be lucky to get a handful of Democratic senators. “It’s disappointing to see the Judiciary Committee break straight along party lines. Unfortunately, it appears Democratic Senators are listening to the liberal special interest groups who have spent millions of dollars attacking Judge Alito. What's going on with Judge Alito is not advising and consenting. It's about politics. And that does not bode well for the future of the judiciary.” #####