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

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today voted against a Democratic plan to begin troop withdrawals from Iraq.  The plan, which called for all American troops to be out of Iraq by December 15, 2008, had already passed the House of Representatives.

He made this statement:

“Some people seem intent on taking one of the most successful counter-insurgency military operations in American history – the Surge – and undercutting it by the acts of one of the most dysfunctional Congresses in American history.

“We cannot deny funding to our troops in the field and we cannot replace the judgment of our military commanders with a dysfunctional Congress being led around by the nose by groups like Code Pink and Moveon.org.  They refuse to acknowledge success.  All they see is the next election and the potential for their next TV ad.
 
“We must not send a message to our enemies that we’re prepared to let them get off the mat and back into the fight.  This was a ridiculous proposal which undercuts our national security interests.  I’m proud to have been part of the effort to defeat this ill-advised measure.”

#####