Jul 25 2006

Graham Statement on Hutchison-Pence Immigration Reform Plan

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 on the comprehensive immigration reform plan introduced by U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and Representative Mike Pence (R-IN). According to a preview story in today’s Washington Post, the plan allows most of the 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States a chance to work here legally, but only after the government certifies the U.S. borders have been sufficiently secured. Illegal immigrants would “self-deport” to their home countries within two years of the bill’s enactment and apply for a new kind of visa allowing them to quickly return to the United States and legally work. After 17 years they could apply for citizenship while remaining in the United States. He made the following statement: “I am very pleased Senator Hutchison and Representative Pence have put a comprehensive solution to our nation’s immigration problems on the table. If we will engage in problem solving, instead of political blame, we can make tremendous progress on this issue. “I consider the Hutchison-Pence proposal to be another step in the right direction. I look forward to reviewing the details of their plan and discussing with them how we can move this very important issue forward. “With continued presidential leadership, I believe the odds are in favor of Congress passing a comprehensive solution which secures our borders, establishes workable employer enforcement mechanisms, and institutes a procedure to deal with the estimated 11 million undocumented workers in the United States.” #####

Jul 25 2006

Graham and DeMint Announce $500,000 for Character Education Programs in South Carolina Schools

Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
WASHINGTON- U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint today announced the South Carolina Department of Education will receive a $504,898 Partnerships in Character Education Grant. Funds will be used to design and implement character education programs that teach character elements such as caring, civic virtue, citizenship, justice, fairness, respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, and charity. In addition, programs seek to improve student attendance and academic performance, parental involvement, teacher development, and community involvement. The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Education. ####

Jul 25 2006

Graham and DeMint Announce $450,000 for Character Education in Lancaster County Schools

Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
WASHINGTON- U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint today announced Lancaster County School District will receive a $459,423 Partnerships in Character Education Grant. Funds will be used to design and implement character education programs that teach character elements such as caring, civic virtue, citizenship, justice, fairness, respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, and charity. In addition, programs seek to improve student attendance and academic performance, parental involvement, teacher development, and community involvement. The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Education. ####

Jul 21 2006

Graham and DeMint Announce Nearly $1.7 Million for HIV Treatment in South Carolina

Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint today announced health care organizations in Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville will receive nearly $1.7 million to provide primary health care for individuals diagnosed with HIV. Charleston Roper St. Francis Foundation will receive a $432,802 grant. Columbia Richland Community Health Care Association will receive a $771,720 grant. Greenville New Horizon Family Health Services will receive a $487,758 grant. The Ryan White Title III: Early Intervention Services grants can be used to provide patients:
  • Risk-reduction counseling on prevention, antibody testing, medical evaluation, and clinical care;
  • Antiretroviral therapies; protection against opportunistic infections; and ongoing medical, oral health, nutritional, psychological, and other services for HIV-infected clients;
  • Case management to ensure access to services and continuity of care for HIV-infected clients;
  • Attention to other health problems that occur frequently with HIV infection, including tuberculosis and substance abuse.
The grants were awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ####

Jul 21 2006

Graham and DeMint Announce More Than $8.3 Million in Housing Grants for South Carolina

Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint today announced more than $8.3 million in housing grants in Anderson, Beaufort, Charleston, Greenville, and Spartanburg. Anderson The City of Anderson will receive a $771,427 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). Beaufort Beaufort County will receive a $750,000 for the HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME), and $12,156 for the American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI). Charleston The City of Charleston will receive a $1,096,575 CDBG award, $832,065 for the HOME Program, and $397,000 for the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program. Greenville The City of Greenville will receive a $1,123,708 CDBG award, and $379,544 for the HOME Program. Spartanburg The City of Spartanburg will receive a $789,283 CDBG award, and $328,868 for the HOME Program. Spartanburg County will receive a $1,329,187 CDBG award, $530,546 for the HOME Program, and $9,929 for the ADDI.
  • The Community Development Block Grant Program develops communities and provides housing by expanding economic opportunities for low and moderate income households.
  • The HOME Investment Partnership Program creates affordable housing by allowing communities to design and implement strategies tailored to their own needs and priorities.
  • The American Dream Down Payment Initiative promotes homeownership opportunities by providing necessary resources for down payment and closing cost assistance to lower-income and minority households.
  • The Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS program provides housing assistance and related support services to state and local governments
The grants were awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. ####

Jul 20 2006

Graham Supports Voting Rights Acts Extension

Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today took to the floor of the U.S. Senate in support of reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act. “South Carolina has made great strides forward in terms of African-American voting participation and representation at all levels of state and local government,” said Graham. “I’m proud of the progress that has been made in years past and those who made it happen. During some very turbulent times, they shed blood, sweat and tears to bring about major change in our nation. I owe them a debt of gratitude, like others in my generation.” Graham noted that he was a child of the south and grew up in segregated schools for part of his life. But the civil rights movement enriched the country by allowing people to interact in ways that would have been impossible if segregation had continued. “South Carolina has come a long way in the past few decades and we have a lot to be proud of,” said Graham. “But just like every other part of the country, we still have a ways to go. I hope twenty-five years from now it can be said that there will be no need for a Voting Rights Act because things have continued to change for the better. If we continue making progress like we have in the past twenty-five years, we can make it happen.” #####

Jul 19 2006

Graham Announces for $212,000 for Dillon School District Two Literacy Program

Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today announced Dillon School District Two will receive a $212,417 grant to promote a new literacy program. The funds will be used to initiate the Literacy for a Lifetime: Creating Literacy Communities program. The program will help to improve literacy and academic achievement by creating student book clubs in grades K-12, hosting visiting authors at schools, updating the library collections, hosting family literacy nights, and providing professional development for library media specialists and teachers. In addition, the program will provide instruction for teen mothers emphasizing the importance of reading to their children. The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Education. ####

Jul 18 2006

Graham Statement on Stem Cell Research

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 on the Senate’s stem cell research vote. “I completely understand and appreciate the seriousness of the debate and how people of good will and motives may disagree on the proper course for our nation to chart. “After careful consideration, I come out on the side of not using taxpayer dollars to condone the destruction of viable embryos for research purposes. I feel very uncomfortable using taxpayer dollars to fund research on viable embryos when there are other alternatives available. “I remain concerned we are heading down a slippery slope, in terms of medical ethics, that may have no end. The argument that some of the embryos will be discarded if not used for research does not address the fundamental question of whether the federal government should condone such practices with taxpayer funding. “At this moment in time of scientific development and as the moral debate continues to move forward, I believe the answer should be a no vote on sanctioning the destruction of viable embryos. All of us, no matter our differences were once viable embryos. “Also, if the President carries through on his veto threat, I will vote to sustain.” #####

Jul 18 2006

Charleston’s Dock Street Theater to Receive a $3.6 Million Federal Grant

Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
WASHINGTON– U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham, Jim DeMint, and U.S. Representative Henry Brown today announced the State of South Carolina will receive a $3,655,499 Pre-disaster Mitigation Grant to help the City of Charleston with a seismic and wind retrofit of the historic Dock Street Theatre. The grant represents a federal share of the total project cost of $4,949,940. The remainder will come from non-federal sources. “I am pleased that the City of Charleston is taking proactive steps to help protect one of the state and nation’s most historic structures,” said Graham. “The preventative repairs are designed to help protect the building in the event of a natural disaster.” “The historic Dock Street Theatre has been a part of Charleston history for hundreds of years,” said Senator DeMint, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Disaster Prevention and Prediction Subcommittee. “I’m pleased this important part of South Carolina’s culture will be preserved for generations to come.” "The Dock Street Theater is a jewel in a city that is so richly blessed with historically significant architectural treasures,” said Brown. “I am pleased that FEMA recognizes the importance of preserving this building, the first designed solely for theatrical performances in America. This grant will help ensure that future generations will have the opportunity to appreciate the rich cultural history enjoyed by Charleston's residents and visitors since the 1700s." The funds will be used for structurally strengthening the walls and roof, compaction grouting, and carbon fiber strengthening of the un-reinforced masonry structure, and installing window shutters. The project is a collaboration with the State of South Carolina’s Department of Archives and History and is in keeping with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency. ####

Jul 18 2006

Graham Announces $354,000 for SC State GEAR UP Program

Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today announced South Carolina State University will receive a $354,908 grant to support its GEAR UP program. GEAR UP is a national grant program to support early college preparation and awareness activities for low-income students. The program assists students in the Allendale County and Orangeburg School District 3 in meeting South Carolina State Performance Standards, complete a college preparatory course of study, train teachers, increase parental and community involvement, and increase the awareness of financial aid resources. The program begins to work with students in the 7th grade and continues through high school graduation. Services provided include tutoring, mentoring, counseling, workshops, field trips, and college visitations. The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Education. ####
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