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

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry passed the Food and Energy Security Act of 2007 (Farm Bill).  U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham voted in support of the legislation. 

Among the major features of the legislation:

• Extends commodity programs for producers including direct payments to farmers;
• Reauthorizes conservation, agriculture research, rural development, energy, and food assistance programs;
• Establishes incentives for farmers to invest in the production and conversion of renewable biomass, such as cellulosic ethanol, to energy;
• Establishes a Rural Collaborative Investment program that would bolster economic development in rural regions by providing grants to projects created by local government, business and nonprofit organizations;

Reauthorizes key programs such as the Food Stamp Program, the Emergency Food Assistance Program, the Fruit and Vegetable Program, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the Wetlands Reserve Program, foreign food assistance programs, and rural programs such as community facility funding, broadband service, rural/waste water grants.

“Agriculture is the second largest industry in South Carolina and I know how important these programs are to our state,” said Graham.  “I am pleased the committee approved a farm bill that maintains current farm programs and includes increased funding for nutrition and specialty crops programs.  We also adopted incentives for the conversion of cellosic biomass to energy and recognize the importance of conservation and rural development in our country.”

Graham noted there are provisions in the bill that cause concern such as an optional farm program that makes payments to producers based on state crop revenue targets, and a provision that reduces payment limits over the life of the bill.

“This farm bill is not perfect and everyone on the Committee would admit that there are some things in this bill that they don’t like,” said Graham.  “However, I am proud that a compromise was found that nearly all my colleagues could agree is a good bill.” 

Graham worked to include additional grant programs that could benefit research and training being conducted in South Carolina.  These include expanding research conducted on forage-fed beef systems and a New Era Rural Technology Program that would provide grant money to community colleges for training an agriculture workforce in bio-energy, and the pulp and paper industry.  The legislation also includes a Graham-backed provision that would provide economic adjustment assistance in the amount of 4 cents per pound to textile manufacturers for the modernization of equipment and operations. 

The House version of the 2007 farm bill passed in July.  Action on the Senate floor will begin in the coming weeks.

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

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today voted against invoking cloture on the DREAM Act.  Sixty votes were necessary to move to consideration of the legislation and the vote in the Senate was 52-44.  He made this statement following the vote:

“First, we must show the American people we are serious about securing our nation’s borders. 

“I have twice introduced and passed legislation through the Senate providing $3 billion for improved border security.  There is no doubt we need more boots on the ground, more miles of fencing, better technology which acts as a force multiplier, additional detention beds, and unmanned aerial vehicles at the border.  I have and will continue to push for adoption of the Graham Amendment until it is signed into law by President Bush.

“Regaining operational control of our nation’s borders is a gateway to further reforms of our broken immigration system.

“I’m sympathetic to the concerns expressed today on the floor of the Senate, but I believe the legislation was poorly drafted and in need of further amending.  Additionally, Majority Leader Reid made clear that he was not going to allow any meaningful changes to the DREAM Act, a legislative process I found to be very unfair.  Without assurances border security would be addressed, I would not vote to proceed to this matter. 

“There is no reason to abandon our border security efforts at this critical moment in time.  We need to be focused on securing our borders to ensure people who come into the country do so legally.”

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

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today visited the Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center, Charleston and discussed the role the facility is playing in the outfitting of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAP) for the military.

 

Graham noted that every MRAP heading to Iraq comes through SPAWAR before being transported overseas.  The vehicles are delivered to SPAWAR where engineers and technicians outfit the armored vehicle with the appropriate jamming devices and communications gear.  The MRAP vehicles have proven to be very effective at saving American lives from Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and ambush attacks.

 

“Our state has made many important contributions to the war effort, but one of the most valuable is occurring daily at SPAWAR,” said Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.  “We should all be proud of them and thankful for their contributions to the war effort.”

 

Graham has long been a supporter of the MRAP vehicles and in the early days of the Iraq war went head-to-head with the Pentagon over $4.5 million in funding to pay for a prototype vehicle.  At the time, the Pentagon favored a program to ‘up-armor’ the Humvee to guard against IED and ambush attacks.  Graham prevailed and the funding was secured which allowed a South Carolina company, Force Protection of Ladson (then known as Technical Solutions), to continue working on the prototype.

 

“The funding secured in 2005 was a turning point in terms of bringing awareness to IED protection in Congress,” said Graham.  “Without direct Congressional involvement, we would be years behind in developing and deploying MRAPs.  It enabled the industry to prove the capability of their product.  Now we have multiple companies competing for contracts and commitments from the Department of Defense to purchase thousands of these life-saving vehicles.”

 

“ South Carolina companies were among the first to produce these important and life-saving vehicles,” said Graham.  “This is another example of how our state has been and continues to be on the tip of the spear for the United States military’s fight against terrorism.”

 

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

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate today approved an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2008 Defense Appropriations bill introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) to provide $3 billion for increased border security and interior enforcement measures.  The measure passed 95-1. 

 

 

“In the age of terrorism, regaining operational control of our nation’s borders is a national security issue of the highest order,” said Graham.  “The term ‘operational control’ is a military term, and I look at this effort to secure our border as a military operation.  We are serious about border security and this again shows the commitment to do whatever is necessary to regain control of our borders."

 

“There is no doubt we need better border security at our southern border including more boots on the ground, more miles of fencing, better technology which acts as a force multiplier, additional detention beds, and unmanned aerial vehicles,” said Graham.  “My amendment provides funding for these important and much-needed changes in federal policy.”

 

Graham sponsored the amendment along with Senator Jon Kyl (R-Arizona).

 

"The U.S. has come a long way in its efforts to secure the border," said Kyl.  "For example, the number of Border Patrol agents has increased from approximately 4,000 to 15,000 by the end of 2007.  And, last year, Congress gave DHS an extra $1.2 billion to construct fencing and other vehicular barriers in FY2007.  But there is still so much left to do.  This amendment provides an additional $3 billion in emergency funding for FY2008 to protect the border, enhance interior enforcement, including at the workplace, and detain more illegal immigrants who have either committed crimes or who are in the process of being removed from the U.S. for immigration violations."

 

The Graham Amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill and Homeland Security Appropriations bill:

 

• Establishes operational control over the entire US border.

   

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  Provides funding to construct 700 miles of fencing.

   

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  Provides funding to procure Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), ground sensors, vehicle barriers.

   

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  Increases the ability to detain immigrants for overstaying their visas and committing other crimes.

   

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  Provides funding for states and localities that undergo training to assist the Federal government in enforcing immigration law.

   

The Graham Amendment mirrors a provision Graham introduced and passed in July as part of the Fiscal Year 2008 Homeland Security Appropriations bill by a vote of 89-1.

 

 

“I want the $3 billion to become law and this will increase the odds of that happening,” said Graham.  “Right now, there appears to be more bipartisan agreement on the Defense Appropriations bill and it stands a much better chance of being signed into law.  I have concerns Democrats in the House of Representatives will strip the $3 billion for border security from the Homeland Security bill when it goes to conference, or change the bill in ways that force a presidential veto.”

 

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