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

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today voted against the Democratic budget resolution in the Senate Budget Committee. The budget resolution establishes spending levels for Fiscal Year 2008 and lays out budget projections for future years. "One of my top priorities this year was for Congress to extend the Bush tax cuts," said Graham. "The tax cuts have proven to be very beneficial to our nation's economic health. Instead of extending the Bush tax cuts, the Democratic proposal actually allows them to lapse creating a $900 billion tax increase on the American taxpayer." The Democratic budget resolution passed through committee by a vote of 12-11. Graham said unless changes are made to the proposal he will be forced to vote against it against on the floor of the Senate. "The Democratic budget resolution leaves much to be desired," said Graham. "The budget process is never easy and I don't expect this year to be any different. However, we seem to be charting a path that leads to higher taxes, increased spending, and does not prepare us for the looming entitlement crisis. There is no doubt we can and must do better for America's taxpayers." #####

MEGYN KENDALL, FOX HOST: If he is telling the truth, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was planning a truly devastating series of attacks when he was arrested back in 2003. According to him, he was plotting to destroy the Empire State Building, the New York Stock Exchange and the Panama Canal. He also says he was trying to kill presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, as well as Pope John Paul II. But can these claims be believed? Republican Senator Lindsey Graham from South Carolina joins us now live from Capitol Hill. Hello, Senator. Thanks for being with us. LINDSEY GRAHAM: Good morning. KENDALL: OK. So here's the first question: Can these claims be believed? GRAHAM: I think we can believe the claim about 9/11. I can assure you that happened, and everybody in America knows it happened and the families know it happened. He listed a long list of terror enterprises that go back over a decade. Yes, I think we can believe that he considers us the enemy, that he considers anyone who disagrees with him religiously the enemy. I think we would be stupid not to believe that we're at war with these people. He is not a criminal; he's a warrior who's committed criminal acts. He should be treated as an enemy combatant, someone who's at war with the United States. And if we don't believe Al Qaida and their agenda, we do so at our own peril. It's time to wake up and realize that we are in a global war. They've been at war with us a lot longer than we've been at war with them, and we need to get with it and win this war. And he's in the right place -- a military prison. He should never be in a federal court or a federal civilian prison. He needs to be in a military court and a military prison. KENDALL: Senator, do you see this -- I mean, if you actually believe that he was planning on committing all of these atrocities, I mean, is this, is this -- what kind of a testament is this to the efforts of U.S. intelligence and anti-terror forces? GRAHAM: The only thing that one would question -- is he trying to embellish his role in Islamic jihadist history. I do believe that the details he's provided us will be corroborated. What it tells us -- that he has been at war with us and the Al Qaida network has been at war with us for a decade. And what did they say will happen next? They want to win in Iraq, drive us not just out of Iraq, but the Mideast; topple every moderate government in the Mideast. Set up a religious theocracy cruel in nature in Baghdad in the Iraq region and eventually destroy Israel. So this should be a wake-up call. We should understand that the intelligence agents who have captured this man, the military members who are detaining him, are doing us a great service; that we need the ability to interrogate in an effective manner people like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. And they ought to be in a military prison, not a civilian prison. KENDALL: Right. And on that score -- I mean, obviously, these admissions were made in the context of him defending his label of being an enemy combatant, and now the next step is a trial. What now for him? What do you expect is going to happen to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed now? GRAHAM: I think that based on the record that there will be a solid case that he is an enemy combatant, not a common criminal, but somebody who's at war with the United States, who has planed attacks against the United States in a military fashion with a military objective, who operates out of uniform; that the definition of enemy combatant used at Guantanamo Bay fits him to a tee. And the next thing awaiting him would be a war crimes trial, because the activity that he has confessed to is illegal activity under the law of armed conflict. I've been a military lawyer for 20-something years. We're at war, and the body of law we should apply to these people is the law of armed conflict, not domestic criminal law. So I expect him to be tried. KENDALL: It's pretty amazing that somebody like that in the United States of America gets even those rights, right, Senator? Thanks so much for being with us this morning. GRAHAM: Thank you.

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

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint today announced more than $450,000 in grants to fire departments in South Carolina. "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." "South Carolina's firefighters risk their lives to protect our families each day and I'm proud they have been awarded these competitive grants," said Senator DeMint. The grants were awarded for Operations and Firefighter Safety Programs. Fire departments may use these funds for training, wellness, and fitness programs; the purchase of firefighting and personal protective equipment; and modifications to fire stations and facilities. The grants awarded include: Denmark Denmark Volunteer Fire Department will receive $37,354. Dillon Dillon County Fire Department will receive $74,590. Great Falls Great Falls Fire Department will receive $58,164. Greenville Duncan Chapel Fire District will receive $155,330. North Charleston City of North Charleston Fire Department will receive $72,696. Salem Keowee Fire Department will receive $20,235. Saluda Old Town Fire and Rescue will receive $36,813. 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 - U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today attended a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on medical care provided to veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital. "The hearing shed light on what happened with Building 18 at Walter Reed and the state of DoD and VA health care," said Graham. "Repairs were made to the building in 2005 but the real problems were not fixed. There is no doubt the soldiers who served our nation and went to Walter Reed for treatment deserve better. "We are going to fix the problem at Walter Reed," said Graham. "We are also going to make it easier for people who have been injured in battle or have service-related injuries to get the medical treatment they have earned." Graham said he hopes this current episode will bring into focus the need for the federal government to increase defense spending to combat the rising challenges - both on the battlefield and in support services - necessary to fight and win the War on Terror. "We are in a state of war which could last a generation," said Graham. "The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have gone on longer than anticipated and the injuries sustained on the battlefield have been higher than expected. Our military health care system is running out of capacity. "Hopefully, this will convince the Congress we cannot successfully prosecute the war and care for our wounded soldiers spending just 3.8 percent of our GDP (Gross Domestic Product) on defense," said Graham. "The historical average is 5 percent. In World War II, we spent one-third of our GDP on the war effort. "We need more money, capacity, and bed space on the medical side," said Graham. "We need more troops, better benefits for our soldiers, and equipment on the war-fighting side. Commanders have to do a better job of being accountable and we in the Congress need to do a better job of ensuring the military has adequate resources to carry out all of its duties." Graham also noted that the recent episode is not an indictment of all health care provided to members of the military and veterans of our nation. "The care we are giving our soldiers on the battlefield is second to none," said Graham. "We are saving the lives of people who in previous wars would have died. Many of our health care professionals are doing a very good job during difficult times. We need to give them the resources they need to do their jobs and continue to reward those who are providing excellent health care to those in the military." #####