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

Washington, DC - This morning, the United States and Russia signed an agreement that formally resolves liability issues which delayed construction of the Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility at the Savannah River Site (SRS). In 2000, the U.S. and Russia each agreed to dispose of 34 metric tons of surplus, weapons-grade plutonium by turning it into MOX fuel for use in existing commercial nuclear reactors. The MOX program is the most cost effective manner for converting excess weapons-grade plutonium into forms unusable for weapons by terrorists. Members of the South Carolina and Georgia delegations have worked tirelessly to overcome this hurdle. Having met with officials from the White House, the State Department, the Department of Energy, and the National Nuclear Security Administration the delegation made it clear that all the issues needed to be resolved so the program can move forward. "The events of today are the result of a lot of hard work and dedication by my colleagues and me," said Congressman Gresham Barrett (R-SC, 3). "This announcement is huge news for the MOX program, the Site, the state and the nation. It is further proof that the Administration joins the South Carolina and Georgia delegations in strong support of the MOX program, which is vital to our national security. I am confident that this news will alleviate any doubts that may exist in the minds of some as to the commitment behind the program. The agreement helps put all the pieces of the puzzle together and solves a major issue surrounding the delays in the MOX program. I look forward to working through the appropriation process to ensure that the US commitment is fulfilled." "This is great news for the future of SRS and the United States," said U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC). "The MOX program will play an essential national security role in the decades to come. I appreciate the dedication of the Bush Administration and the Department of State to see these negotiations through to the end. I appreciate the work of my congressional colleagues from South Carolina and Georgia for their efforts to keep this issue at the forefront. We remain committed to seeing the MOX program fully funded and operational." "This roadblock being removed shows a strong commitment on the part of both countries to move forward," said U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC). "I'm going to continue to push for the U.S. to fulfill its commitment and proceed with the funding of the MOX Fuel Fabrication Facility." "One of the reasons why the MOX facility is so important is that it will help both countries make great strides toward keeping weapons-grade plutonium out of the hands of terrorists," said U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA). "I know the hard working professionals at Savannah River Site are ready and able to start work on the facility as soon as possible." "We have a world class facility in the Savannah River Site, and the agreement reached today is huge step forward," said U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, (R-GA). "I am confident the Georgia and South Carolina delegations will continue to work hard to ensure that the MOX program is funded and operational as soon as possible." "In reaching an agreement today with Russia, we have taken a vital step in moving the MOX program forward. Our commitment to waste cleanup at the Savannah River Site remains strong, and I am confident that today's news will aid our efforts to expedite construction of the MOX facility and secure future funding," said Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC, 2). "This clears the final hurdle for getting the MOX facility up and going at SRS. I look forward to immediately passing whatever additional measures are necessary to bring it to completion. This is a tremendous step forward for not just the CSRA, but the entire nation in national security, independence from foreign oil, and prevention of nuclear terrorism," said Congressman Charlie Norwood (R-GA, 9). ###

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

U.S. Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) today formally submitted their request to Senate leadership for a vote on the Schumer-Graham Free Trade Act. Last April, The Schumer-Graham legislation received 67 votes on a procedural vote and is scheduled for an up-or-down vote before September 30th. Schumer and Graham’s letter today formally requests floor time by the end of this month. “We’ve been very patient, but have seen little progress,” Senator Schumer said. “The Senate will be voting on our bill if China doesn’t make a significant move very soon. Time is running out. I hope that Hank returns with tangible results, but if the disconnect between China’s rhetoric and actions is any guide, we’ll have no choice but to call for a vote.” “Senator Schumer and I have been patient and flexible,” said Senator Graham. “We agreed to delay a vote on our legislation on three separate occasions. Most recently, in March we agreed to delay a vote for six additional months to give the Chinese additional time to revalue their currency. We have been determined and we have been reasonable. Now, the date of our promised vote is approaching and we are sorely disappointed with China’s pace of reform.” The Schumer-Graham Bill (S. 295) allows for a 180-day negotiation period between the United States and China on currency revaluation; if the negotiations are not successful, a temporary across the board tariff of 27.5% will be applied to all Chinese products entering the United States. If the President certifies to Congress within 180 days of enactment that China has made a good-faith effort to revalue its currency upward, he may delay the imposition of the tariffs for an additional 180 days. If at the end of that 180-day period the President determines that China has developed and started actual implementation of a plan to revalue its currency, the President may delay imposition of the tariffs for an additional 12 months. The text of the letter is below: September 14, 2006 The Honorable William H. Frist Senate Majority Leader 509 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Harry Reid Senate Minority Leader 528 Hart Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Dear Majority Leader Frist and Minority Leader Reid: We are writing to you today to formally request specific time for floor debate and a vote on our China currency legislation, S. 295. The Senate committed to a vote under the unanimous consent agreement reached in April 2005, and the time has come for us to move forward on our bill. As you know, on April 6, 2005, we offered the text of S. 295 as an amendment to the State Department authorization bill. A motion was made to table our amendment, which failed by a 33-67 margin. Majorities of both parties, as well as majorities on both the Banking and Finance committees, voted against the tabling motion. At the time, we agreed via unanimous consent to delay the vote on S. 295 until the end of July 2005, provided that we receive two hours of debate and an up-or-down vote with no amendments. We also agreed not to offer our bill as an amendment to any other legislative vehicle. Since then, to show our willingness to be flexible and patient, we agreed to delay our vote on three separate occasions. Most recently, in March we agreed to delay a vote for six additional months to give the Chinese additional time to revalue their currency. In short, while we have been determined, we have also been reasonable. Now, the date in the agreement is approaching, and we are sorely disappointed with China’s pace of currency reform. In remarks preceding his trip to China, Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson stated that, “with [China’s] leadership comes responsibility.” China has clearly failed to live up to its international obligations. Since July 2005, when China allowed the yuan to appreciate by 2.1 percent and promised to allow market forces to work, the currency has only appreciated by an additional two percent. In this period, the trade deficit with China continued to accelerate. In August alone, our deficit with China reached $18.8 billion, 33 percent greater than at the same time last year. Despite China’s rhetoric that revaluing their currency will destabilize their economy, we have seen quite the opposite. China’s economy is currently growing at an 11 percent annual rate, and its inflation rate has only been 1.3 percent over the last year. Therefore, we respectfully request that you schedule floor time for debate and a vote on S. 295, as early during the week of September 25 as possible. In addition, given the importance and visibility of the issue, we also ask that you abide by your earlier assurance that the vote on S. 295 not be one of the last orders of business before Congress adjourns for the 2006 elections. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Charles E. Schumer Lindsey O. Graham

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

WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today announced Benedict College and Morris College will each receive a $600,000 grant to help address community development needs. The funds will be used to assist the schools in expanding their role and effectiveness in community development activities including neighborhood revitalization, housing development for low- and moderate-income persons, and economic development. The grants were awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. ####

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

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) made the following statement on testimony before the House Armed Services Committee made by generals and admirals from the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. The military leaders were testifying about the structure and procedure of tribunals to try terror suspects. “The concerns expressed by the generals and admirals about how we should conduct the trials of terrorists are very serious. I hope Members of Congress will agree.” ##### Statements from Military Leaders before the House Armed Services Committee September 7, 2006 Brigadier General James C. Walker, U.S. Marine Corps, Staff Judge Advocate * “I am not aware of any situation in the world where there is a system of jurisprudence that is recognized by civilized people where an individual can be tried and convicted without seeing the evidence against him. And I don't think that the United States needs to become the first in that scenario.” * “I personally remain concerned about any process which would permit the introduction of evidence against an accused outside of his presence. I simply believe the right to see the evidence against you and to be present when evidence is presented are fundamental to a full and fair trial and are also part of those judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized people.” * “…..I concur with my colleagues that if we get to a point where the sole evidence against an accused is classified, he must be able to see that evidence. That's just essentially one of those elements of a full and fair trial.” * “We must maintain our nation's ability to deal with terrorists and with unlawful enemy combatants, but at the same time we must also provide those judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized people.” * “While we seek that balance, we also must remember the concept of reciprocity: What we do and how we treat these individuals can, in the future, have a direct impact on our service men and women overseas.” Major General Scott Black, United States Army, Judge Advocate General * “I can't imagine any military judge believing that an accused has had a full and fair hearing if all the government's evidence that was introduced was all classified and the accused was not able to see any of it.” * “The Hamdan decision has reinforced our need to ensure military commissions are reflective of American values such as due process and the rule of law.” * “Our task has been to balance the utility of the military commissions with these values that are foundational to our democratic society.” * “I am concerned, one, that the package does not contain a provision that would prohibit the admission of evidence outside of the presence of the accused when that evidence is the sole evidence admitted to establish a material fact, if you follow. If it's the only piece of evidence that's necessary to convict, then I remain concerned about excluding the accused.” Major General Charles Dunlap, United States Air Force, Deputy Judge Advocate General * “A process fully compliant with Common Article 3 will enhance our standing internationally and empower our allies to embrace the legal reasoning and architecture behind the prosecution of military commission cases. Doing so is plainly in our war fighting interest.” * “But my bottom line, my personal opinion, sir, is that we cannot have a process whereby the finder of fact -- not the judge deciding, but the finder of fact -- gets evidence that the accused never sees and never has the opportunity to defend against…” Rear Admiral Bruce MacDonald, United State Navy, Judge Advocate General * “…there are some issues, particularly the use of classified evidence, where I would stand by the approach to that taken by the Uniform Code of Military Justice.” * “With respect to coerced statements, it would be my position that I would recommend that the committee look at not allowing coerced statements; that statements that are obtained under torture are excluded under the current commission rules. However, statements obtained through coercion, if they meet a reliability and probative test, are admitted. * “I would recommend that the committee look to the Detainee Treatment Act and the cruel and inhuman and degrading treatment standard and apply that standard as well to statements that may or may not be coerced. And I would leave that determination to the military judge in charge of the commission to balance those competing interests.”