Apr 25 2007

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made this statement on Senate Majority Leaders Harry Reid's recent statement that Iraq 'is lost.' Graham is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. "If the war in Iraq is lost, then who won? Was it Al Qaeda? Iran? Sunni extremists? Shia extremists? "Do you believe allowing any of these groups to emerge victorious is in our long-term national interests? "I certainly do not believe allowing them to win is in our long-term interests. They all stand against the forces of moderation in Iraq and the entire Middle East. "As part of the War on Terror, Iraq is a test of wills - our will to succeed versus our enemy's will to drive us out. It's in our national interest to stand by peaceful Iraqis and against the extremists who not only want to destroy Iraq, but our own way of life." #####

Apr 20 2007

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made this statement on Majority Leader Reid's comment saying the Iraq war "is lost." A member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Graham recently returned from his sixth trip to Iraq. He said: "Majority Leader Reid's willingness to withdraw and declare defeat - in the face of horrific acts of terrorism - would be a mistake for the ages. "It would undercut General Petreaus's new strategy, not yet fully implemented, and ensure the defeat of this young democracy. It's would also be a death blow to forces of moderation throughout the Middle East. "We must not allow car and suicide bombers to dictate our foreign policy. An approach of appeasement and withdrawal in the face of terrorism reminds me not of Vietnam, but of the mid-1930s. Political leaders throughout the world kept giving Hitler one more country hoping he would be satisfied. He never was. "The failure to confront evil has always cost more in the long run than can be gained in the short term. Giving Iraq to the extremists and Al Qaeda will not end the war. It only guarantees that in time we will be fighting a larger war. "History will record the terrorists who are trying to destroy the democracy in Iraq should have been confronted sooner rather than later." #####

Apr 18 2007

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) made this statement on today's Supreme Court ruling upholding the partial birth abortion ban.

"As a long-time opponent of partial birth abortion, I am very pleased with the Court's ruling. Today's decision was a hard-fought and long-overdue victory which reflects the will of the American people.

"While Americans may be divided on abortion policy in the early stages of pregnancy, limiting abortion in the last months is overwhelmingly supported.

"I'm very pleased we can now stop a procedure that an overwhelming majority of Americans find repugnant and unacceptable. That is an abortion in the last days and months of a pregnancy when the unborn child is clearly viable."

"The Court's ruling is a step in the right direction when it comes to abortion policy in the United States. The partial birth abortion ban is now the law of the land and for that millions of Americans are thankful."

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Apr 13 2007

WASHINGTON-  U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint today announced more than $800,000 in competitive scientific research grants for Clemson University, Columbia College, Newberry College, and the University of South Carolina.

Clemson University
Clemson University will receive $339,065 for a project entitled "Collaborative Research: CEDAR--Experimental and Modeling Study of Mesoscale Ion-Neutral Coupling in the Auroral Thermosphere."
 
Columbia College
Columbia College will receive $149,968 for a project entitled "Using Discovery-Based Experiments to Integrate FT-NMR Spectroscopy into the Chemistry Curriculum."

Newberry College
Newberry College will receive $140,701 for a project entitled "Application and Integration of Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometer in the Undergraduate Chemistry Laboratory: Chemistry Major with Forensic Science Concentration."

USC Research Foundation
USC Research Foundation will receive $200,000 for a project entitled "Synthesis of Necklace-Shaped Boron and Boride Nanowires for Polymer Nanocomposite Applications."

All of the grants were awarded by the National Science Foundation.

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Apr 12 2007

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made the following statement on his vote against the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 which passed the Senate yesterday by a vote of 63-34. Graham voted in support of the alternative bill, the HOPE Act, which passed 70-28. He said: "I completely understand and appreciate the seriousness of the embryonic stem cell debate and how people of good will and motives may disagree on the proper course for our nation to chart. After careful consideration, I come out on the side of not using taxpayer dollars to condone the destruction of embryos, the early stage of all human life, for research purposes. "President Bush has threatened to veto the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act and I support a presidential veto. Destroying viable embryos is not a choice we should or have to make. "I hope Congress will pass and send to President Bush the HOPE Act introduced by Senators Norm Coleman (R-Minnesota) and Johnny Isakson (R-Georgia). It allows robust research without embracing the slippery moral slope that comes from destroying viable embryos. It passed the Senate overwhelmingly and if given the opportunity, the House of Representatives will do likewise. "The HOPE Act allows for research on stem cells, including pluripotent stem cells which have the flexibility of embryonic stem cells, without destroying viable human embryos. It is a better way for our nation to proceed on this sensitive subject." ####

Apr 03 2007

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) made this statement on yesterday's decision by the Supreme Court declining to hear appeals from detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. "I am pleased the Supreme Court rejected the terrorist's lawyers request to overrule Congress and grant habeas corpus rights to enemy combatants. "We are at war and the detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay pose military threats to our country. They are not and should not be treated as common criminals under domestic criminal law. The terrorists do not deserve the same rights as our citizens. "I firmly believe the Military Commissions Act, which applies the law of armed conflict to those held at Guantanamo Bay, will be upheld in its entirety by the Supreme Court when it is fully reviewed." #####

Mar 30 2007

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made this statement on the Guantanamo Bay military commission which accepted a guilty plea from Australian David Hicks. Hicks is to be sentenced to seven years in prison for providing material support to Al Qaeda. Under the plea agreement Mr. Hicks will serve his sentence in Australia. Last year, Graham played a leading role in the drafting and eventual passage into law of the Military Commissions Act (MCA), which establishes the rules and procedures to try enemy combatant terror suspects before military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He said: "I'm extremely pleased the military commission process is up and working. I believe the sentence handed down by the military judge was appropriate. "I'm grateful to our Australian allies who showed tremendous patience in ensuring Mr. Hicks would be held accountable for his crimes. The Australian government should be congratulated for allowing the process to move forward and justice to be rendered. "I hope today's proceedings will be a deterrent to any person intrigued by the idea of associating with Al-Qaeda or other terrorist organizations in any shape, form, or fashion." #####

Mar 29 2007

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) made this statement after the Senate vote on legislation to withdraw American troops from Iraq. "This bill is a national disgrace. "The legislation sets withdrawal dates which tell our enemy exactly when we're leaving and how long they have to wait us out to win in Iraq. It also spends more than $20 billion on projects completely unrelated to the military and efforts to win the War on Terror. "Timelines for withdrawal are a death blow to our chances for success in Iraq. They freeze the political and economic reconciliation among Iraqis. They are a death sentence for Iraqi moderates trying to bring peace and stability to their country. As for our troops, those who are left to serve waiting for the withdrawal day to come will be risking their lives without purpose. It is an untenable position to put them in. "Is it really a national emergency critical to winning the War on Terror for the cities hosting the Republican National Convention and Democratic National Convention in 2008 to receive matching $50 million grants? Is there even a remote correlation between fighting the War on Terror and $24 million slated for sugar beet growers? What about $20 million for reimbursements of insect damage in Nevada or $13 million for ewe-lamb replacement and retention? "The President is right to veto this legislation and I look forward to sustaining his veto." #####

Mar 27 2007

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made this statement on the Senate amendment offered by U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Mississippi) to strip the arbitrary Iraq withdrawal deadline from the emergency war supplemental. Graham is a co-sponsor of the Cochran amendment. "A date certain for withdrawal dooms any chance of winning in Iraq. It is also a vote of no-confidence in General Petraeus, his new strategy, and our troops' ability to carry out the mission. Congress should not define how long our enemy has to hang on to win. "As for our troops, those who are left to serve waiting for the withdrawal day to come will be risking their lives without purpose. It is an untenable position to put them in. "Timelines for withdrawal are a death blow to our chances of success in Iraq. They freeze the political and economic reconciliation among Iraqis. They are a death sentence for Iraqi moderates trying to bring peace and stability to their country. If we leave, under these circumstances, Baghdad will be a blood bath. "Timelines for withdrawal are a political act for the political moment. I hope Congress strips them from the legislation." ####### UPDATE: The Cochran amendment was defeated in the Senate by a vote of 48-50.

Mar 26 2007

WASHINGTON-  U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint today announced the city of York will receive $1.5 million to upgrade the Fishing Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

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