Blog
Mar 14 2007
Wes Hickman (202) 224-5972 or Kevin Bishop (864) 250-1417
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) yesterday voted against the 9/11 Commission bill because of Senate Democrats insistence on adding a provision allowing workers for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to unionize. The unionization proposal was not included in the 9/11 Commission Report. The vote in the Senate was 60-38. The legislation will now go to conference with the House of Representatives. "This provision is the Democrats political payback for union support during the last election," said Graham. "It is an irresponsible position to take when it comes to our national security." Graham noted that after the United Kingdom air bombing plot was stopped, TSA changed the nature of employees' work and even the location of their work to respond to these emergencies. They also implemented new operating procedures within hours to deal with the new threat. "President Bush has threatened a presidential veto, a position which I strongly support," said Graham. "Flexibility is a key component in helping protect and secure Americans when they travel. The unionization proposal will not help make America safer." ######Mar 07 2007
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. ####Mar 06 2007
Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
WASHINGTON- U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint today announced nearly $975,000 in competitive scientific research grants for Clemson University and the University of South Carolina.
Clemson
Clemson University will receive $375,000 for a project entitled “Inverted Colloidal Crystal Membranes.”
USC Research Foundation
USC Research Foundation will receive $400,000 for a project entitled “CAREER: Quantifying the Importance of Friction in the Rheology and Structure of Dense Colloidal Dispersions,” and $199,431 for “Developing an Engineering Environment for Fostering Effective Critical Thinking Through Measurements.”
All of the grants were awarded by the National Science Foundation.
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Mar 06 2007
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." #####Mar 02 2007
Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint today announced more than $790,000 in grants to fire departments in Beaufort, Blacksburg, Daufuskie Island, Gaffney, Greenwood, Jenkinsville, and Union.
“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 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:
Beaufort
Beaufort Fire Department will receive a $72,637 Operations and Firefighter Safety Grant.
Blacksburg
Blacksburg Fire Department will receive a $105,963 Operations and Firefighter Safety Grant.
Daufuskie Island
Daufuskie Island Fire District will receive a $42,180 Operations and Firefighter Safety Grant.
Gaffney
Gaffney Fire Department will receive an $85,271 Operations and Firefighter Safety Grant.
Grassy Pond Volunteer Fire Department will receive a $66,415 Operations and Firefighter Safety Grant.
Greenwood
Northwest Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department will receive a $62,114 Operations and Firefighter Safety Grant.
Jenkinsville
Jenkinsville Monticello Horeb Volunteer Fire Department will receive a $213,864 Vehicle Acquisition Grant.
Union
Cross Keys Volunteer Fire Department will receive a $37,193 Operations and Firefighter Safety Grant.
Winnsboro
Fairfield Community Volunteer Fire Department will receive a $106,146 Operations and Firefighter Safety 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.
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Feb 27 2007
Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
WASHINGTON- U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint today announced more than $1.2 million in competitive scientific research grants for Clemson University, Furman University, and the University of South Carolina.
Clemson
Clemson University will receive $199,961 for a project entitled “Multi-Institutional Mechatronics and Material Handling Educational Laboratories- Course Development and Student Collaboration.”
Furman
Furman University will receive $270,000 for a project entitled “REU Site: Research Experience for Undergraduates in the Grand Challenges of Chemistry.
USC Research Foundation
USC Research Foundation will receive $600,000 for a project entitled “PFI: Polymer Nanocomposites Manufacturing Partnership,” and $149,788 for “CCLI: Novel Instruction Material Development for Embedded System Education in the Undergraduate Computer Engineering Curriculum.”
All of the grants were awarded by the National Science Foundation.
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Feb 22 2007
Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
WASHINGTON- U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint today announced more than $7.7 million in competitive grants for agencies throughout South Carolina to assist homeless individuals and families.
Continuum of Care Homeless Awards
The Continuum of Care Homeless (CoC) awards in South Carolina were awarded in two program areas:
- The Supportive Housing Program (SHP) helps develop housing and related supportive services for people moving from homelessness to independent living.
- The Shelter Plus Care Program (SPC) provides rental assistance that, when combined with social services, provides supportive housing for homeless people with disabilities and their families. Grantees must match the rental assistance with supportive services that are at least equal in value to the amount of HUD's rental assistance.
South Carolina is divided into five CoC regions. Award recipients are listed by region. Several grantees received multiple awards.
Charleston/Low Country CoC
Crisis Ministries- $149,264 SHP
Housing Authority of the City of Charleston-$84,994 SHP
Columbia Midlands CoC
Family Shelter, Inc.- $606,359 SHP
Mental Illness Recovery Center, Inc. (MIRCI)- $247,380 SPC
Mental Illness Recovery Center, Inc. (MIRCI)- $246,804 SPC
Sistercare, Inc. $331,142- SHP
The Salvation Army, A Georgia Corporation- $108,943 SHP
Trinity Housing Corporation- $140,170 SHP
Trinity Housing Corporation- $128,419 SHP
Florence City & County/Pee Dee CoC
Lighthouse Ministries- $60,294 SHPR
Pee Dee Community Action Partnership- $179,098 SHP
Pee Dee Community Action Partnership- $49,002 SHP
Greenville/Anderson/Spartanburg Upstate CoC
Greenville Area Interfaith Hospitality Network (GAIHN)- $21,775 SHP
Homes of Hope, Inc.- $55,866 SHP
MEG's House Shelter for Abused Women- $320,178 SHP
MEG's House Shelter for Abused Women- $109,334 SHP
MEG's House Shelter for Abused Women- $109,322 SHP
Mental Health Association of Greenville County Housing Corporation- $121,716 SPC
Project Care- $166,667 SHP
Rosewood House of Recovery, Inc.- $178,488 SHP
Rosewood House of Recovery, Inc.- $57,085 SHP
Spartanburg County- $160,164 SHP
Sunbelt Human Advancement Resources, Inc. (SHARE)- $545,315 SHP
Sunbelt Human Advancement Resources, Inc. (SHARE)- $98,675 SHP
Upstate Homeless Coalition of South Carolina- $99,936 SPC
Upstate Homeless Coalition of SC- $184,305 SHP
Upstate Homeless Coalition of SC- $17,348 SHP
Upstate Homeless Coalition of SC- $642,151 SHP
Myrtle Beach/Sumter City & County CoC
Any Length Recovery, Inc.- $78,746 SHP
Home Alliance, Inc.- $123,900 SHP
Home Alliance, Inc.- $69,998 SHP
Home Alliance, Inc.- $98,648 SHP
Waccamaw Housing, Inc.- $186,816 SPC
Wateree Community Actions, Incorporated- $121,150 SHP
Williamsburg Enterprise Community Commission, Inc.- $127,188 SHP
Emergency Shelter Grants
In addition, three Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG) were awarded in South Carolina. ESG funds are available for the rehabilitation or remodeling of a building used as a new shelter, operations and maintenance of the facility, essential supportive services, and homeless prevention. Grantees, except for state governments, must match ESG grant funds dollar for dollar with their own locally generated amounts.
Grantees include:
Charleston County- $89,708
Greenville County- $105,437
State of South Carolina- $1,491,489
All grants were awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
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Feb 22 2007
Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint today announced more than $485,000 in grants to fire departments in Edisto Beach, Lake City, Landrum, and Union.
“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 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:
Edisto Beach
Edisto Beach Fire Department will receive a $35,625 Operations and Firefighter Safety Grant.
Lake City
Lake City Fire Department will receive a $96,293 Operations and Firefighter Safety Grant.
Landrum
Glassy Mountain Fire Department will receive a $117,135 Operations and Firefighter Safety Grant.
Union
Philippi Department will receive a $237,500 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.
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