Meghan Hughes (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) was recognized by the American Conservative Union (ACU) for his votes in the last session of the U.S. Senate.  The group termed him an ‘ACU Conservative." 

 

Graham voted the conservative position 88 percent of the time in 2009 and has a lifetime conservative rating from ACU of 90 percent.  The Senate, on average, voted the conservative position 40.63 percent of the time in 2009. 

 

ACU, which describes itself as the largest and strongest grassroots conservative organization, serves as the umbrella organization for conservatives in America. 

 

According to ACU, the ratings, “track a wide range of issues before Congress to determine which issues and votes serve as a dividing line to help separate those Members of the U.S. House and Senate who protect liberty as conservatives and those who are truly liberal.  The ratings have throughout the years become a go-to guide to determine whether an elected official’s philosophical rhetoric matches his or her record.” 

 

Among the conservative votes Graham cast that were part of the group’s 2009 scorecard: 

• Preventing the release of the second installment of $350 billion in TARP funding.
• Instituting a ‘spending freeze’ for most domestic spending programs at the previous years funding level.
• Supporting an extension of the Bush tax cuts.
• Blocking efforts to undo the ‘Mexico City Policy’ which would have allowed funding of U.S. aid organizations which promote abortion.
• Requiring 60 votes to approve unauthorized ‘earmarks’ and requiring disclosure of lobbying by earmark recipients.
• Opposing the Obama economic stimulus plan.
• Supporting gun owners in the District of Columbia by lifting the ban on firearms ownership.
• Barring the use of federal funds to re-instate the Fairness Doctrine.
• Pushing for legislative transparency by requiring that legislation be available for public review for five days.
• Opposition to the Obama Administration’s ‘Cash for Clunkers’ program
• Opposition to the government takeover of our health care system proposed by the Obama Administration and congressional Democrats.

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