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

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint today announced more than $1.8 million in grants to fire departments in Batesburg, Blacksburg, Clover, Heath Springs, Holly Hill, Honea Path, Lancaster, Marietta, Moncks Corner, Nichols, Ridgeville, Seneca, Sheldon, Springfield, Una, Walhalla, and Woodruff. “Firefighters and emergency service personnel dedicate themselves to protecting the health and safety of South Carolinians,” said Graham. “These grants will help our local fire departments by providing them the means to obtain the best equipment and training available.” “I’m pleased to announce these grants that are important to the brave firefighters that risk their lives for the families of South Carolina,” said Senator DeMint. The grants were awarded in one of two program areas:

• Operations and Firefighter Safety Program: The funds may be used for training, wellness, and fitness programs; the purchase of firefighting equipment and personal protective equipment; and modifications to fire stations and facilities.
• Firefighting Vehicle Acquisition Program: The funds may be used for the purchase of firefighting vehicles including pumpers, brush trucks, tankers, rescue vehicles, ambulances, quints, aerials, foam units, and fireboats.

The grants awarded include: Batesburg Sandy Ridge Volunteer Fire Department will receive a $145,350 Firefighting Vehicle Acquisition Grant. Blacksburg Antioch Volunteer Fire Department will receive a $32,300 Operations and Firefighter Safety Grant. Clover Clover Fire Department will receive a $59,688 Operations and Firefighter Safety Grant. Heath Springs Rich Hill Fire Department will receive a $39,900 Operations and Firefighter Safety Grant. Holly Hill Holly Hill Fire Department will receive a $187,768 Firefighting Vehicle Acquisition Grant. Honea Path Dunklin Fire District will receive a $105,275 Operations and Firefighter Safety Grant. Lancaster Elgin Volunteer Fire Department will receive a $68,590 Operations and Firefighter Safety Grant. Marietta River Falls Fire Department will receive a $28,167 Operations and Firefighter Safety Grant. Moncks Corner Cordesville Rural Volunteer Fire Department will receive a $68,551 Firefighting Vehicle Acquisition Grant. Moncks Corner Rural Fire Department will receive a $109,944 Firefighting Vehicle Acquisition Grant. Whitesville Rural Volunteer Fire Department will receive a $42,180 Operations and Firefighter Safety Grant. Nichols Nichols Volunteer Fire Department will receive a $177,650 Firefighting Vehicle Acquisition Grant. Ridgeville Lebanon Fire Department of Berkeley County will receive a $191,900 Firefighting Vehicle Acquisition Grant. Seneca Friendship Volunteer Fire Department will receive a $62,030 Operations and Firefighter Safety Grant. Sheldon Sheldon Township Fire District will receive an $83,198 Operations and Firefighter Safety Grant. Springfield Springfield Fire Department will receive a $187,720 Firefighting Vehicle Acquisition Grant. Una Una Fire Department will receive a $114,475 Operations and Firefighter Safety Grant. Walhalla Pickett Post-Camp Oak Fire Department will receive a $23,313 Operations and Firefighter Safety Grant. Woodruff Woodruff Fire Department will receive a $171,000 Firefighting Vehicle Acquisition Grant. The Assistance to Firefighters grant program awards one-year grants directly to local fire departments, enhancing their ability to respond to fire and fire-related hazards in the community. The program supports departments by providing them the tools and resources necessary to protect the health and safety of the public and their firefighting personnel. Grantees share in the cost of the funded project at a percentage based on the population of their respective jurisdiction. Grantees that serve jurisdictions of 50,000 or fewer residents are required to provide a non-Federal cost-share of 10 percent while grantees that serve jurisdictions of over 50,000 provide a 30 percent cost-share. The match must be in cash without the use of in-kind contributions. In addition, the maximum amount of federal funds that an applicant can be awarded is $750,000 during any fiscal year. The grants are made by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. ####

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

WASHINGTON -- It has been a productive week for the future of port security and Project Seahawk at the Port of Charleston. Last week, the U.S. Congress passed legislation, the SAFE Port Act, calling for the establishment of interagency port security centers modeled on Project Seahawk at every high-priority port in the United States within the next three years. Closer to home, the Department of Justice has agreed to U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham’s (R-South Carolina) request for the Department to release an additional $11.5 million in funding for continued operation of Project Seahawk at the Port of Charleston. The funding will sustain Seahawk operations for at least the next twelve months. “Project Seahawk is now the national model for port security,” said Graham. “We have had a productive few weeks when it comes to port security and Project Seahawk. With the strong collaborative support of Representative Henry Brown in the House we also have been able to have funding released from the Department of Justice which will help Seahawk continue operations at the port. Port security has been a weak link in our homeland security efforts. I’m glad to see we continue to take steps to ensure that we can protect ports in South Carolina and across the nation.” Graham noted the SAFE Port Act contains language he authored that establishes interagency operational centers for port security throughout the country. The “Seahawk Centers” would be run by the Coast Guard and include the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Department of Justice, and other federal agencies. State and local law enforcement, first responders, port authority or maritime exchange representatives would also be included in the joint operations. “The innovation and cooperation practiced at the Port of Charleston serves our state and nation well,” said Graham. “Project Seahawk is the answer to a very serious problem and I am pleased that we will put this innovative program into use across the nation. I’m very proud of the work being done in South Carolina to protect the port. This legislation will not only help keep Project Seahawk operating in Charleston, but it will help improve our port security operations across the nation.” “I, along with Representative Brown, will remain tireless advocates for Project Seahawk and national port security efforts,” said Graham. President Bush is expected to sign the bill into law in the coming days. ####

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

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) last night voted in support of the Secure Fence Act of 2006 which passed the Senate by a vote of 80-19. The legislation already passed the U.S. House of Representatives and will be sent to President Bush who has said he will sign the measure into law. “The first issue to address in immigration reform is border security,” said Graham. “Without strong physical border security no immigration reform will be successful in stopping the flood of illegal crossings. The porous nature of our border doesn’t just pose immigration problems, but national security ones as well.” “Unfortunately, additional fencing by itself does not address all our immigration problems,” continued Graham. “Nearly half of the illegal immigrants in the United States today never illegally crossed the border. They came to the United States as tourists, students or workers and never left. In many cases, they have obtained employment using fraudulent documents which put employers in the no-win situation of determining whether they can legally work in the United States.” Graham noted that immigration is about jobs and that as a nation we must better control who gets them. This can be accomplished by creating of a guest worker program and instituting a worker verification system that lets employers know whether a job applicant can legally work in the United States. The Senate immigration bill created a tamper-proof biometric worker verification card which would be issued to guest workers. The card would enable employers to differentiate between legal and illegal workers before hiring them. It also authorized the hiring of 5,000 new interior enforcement investigators over the next five years to uphold our employment laws. “President Bush and I continue to push for comprehensive immigration reform,” said Graham. ““It’s time for our nation to have a permanent, not partial, solution to illegal immigration.” #####

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

Washington, DC - Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) today announced that the Department of Defense Authorization bill conference report finalized today includes an amendment that will improve TRICARE benefits for National Guard members and Reservists, allowing all members of the Selected Reserve and their families to enroll in TRICARE with an across the board cost-sharing of 28 percent. Today’s victory builds on the Senators’ longstanding commitment to ensuring that members of our National Guard and Reserve and their families have access to the health care benefits they need and deserve. “I’m pleased that after three years of work the House and Senate have finally agreed to make military health care coverage available to every member of the Guard and Reserve,” said Graham. “This long overdue benefit will help our recruitment, retention, and readiness efforts for our stressed reserve component. Every reservist and their family will be able to enjoy continuity of care, whether they are called to active duty or not. I appreciate the support of Senator Clinton in this effort along with Senators DeWine, Leahy, Chambliss, Allen, Warner and Levin. Senator Clinton and I have been fortunate to have very good allies in this effort and Congress has stepped up to the plate to meet the health care needs of our Guard and Reserves.” “I am proud that we have taken another step forward for our National Guard members and Reservists and their families. All members of the Selected Reserve and their families will now have access to TRICARE benefits, at one modest premium rate, regardless of their deployment status. This is the right thing to do for these brave men and women who are serving courageously on our behalf. This will also help ensure that our National Guard members and Reservists are medically ready to serve, which is critical to improving our preparedness,” said Senator Clinton. Senators Graham and Clinton first proposed expanding access to TRICARE for Guard Members and Reservists in 2003 when they introduced the National Guard and Reserves Reform Act for the 21st Century. Since then, they have worked steadily toward this goal, steadily securing expansions in TRICARE benefits for Guardsmen and Reservists. Last year, Senators Clinton and Graham secured passage of an amendment to the DoD Authorization bill that made all members of the Selected Reserve eligible to enroll in TRICARE and created a separate category based on whether a Guard member or Reservist had been deployed. Category 1 for members of the Selected Reserves who had been activated: members would accumulate one year of TRICARE coverage for every 90 days of active duty service and would only have to pay 28 percent of the cost. Category 2 established a 50-50 cost share for those without health insurance due to unemployment or lack of employer-provided coverage. And Category 3 covered the remainder of members of the Selected Reserve who did not fit in the other categories, allowing them to buy into coverage at an 85 percent cost share. This built on expanded eligibility the Senators previously secured. In October 2004, legislation co-sponsored by Senators Graham and Clinton was signed into law as part of the Department of Defense Authorization bill which provided an extension of one additional year of TRICARE eligibility to Guard and Reserve members for every 90 days the Reservist or Guardsman serves. This expanded eligibility program went into effect at the Department of Defense in April 2005. The Graham-Clinton TRICARE efforts have gained support from many groups including the National Guard Association of the United States, the Reserve Officers Association, and the National Governors Association. The DoD Authorization bill conference report will now go to the Senate and House floors for approval and then to the President’s desk to be signed into law. ###