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

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today voted in support of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. The bill would shield makers of firearms from lawsuits intended to drive them out of business. “I’m pleased Congress has decided to not hold gun manufacturers liable for a criminal’s misuse of a gun,” said Graham. “It’s truly absurd that a gun manufacturer or dealer could be sued because a criminal uses their product in the commission of a crime. It’s the criminal who needs to be held accountable for their actions, not the gun manufacturer.” Graham noted that since 1997 more than 30 cities and counties have sued firearms companies. This has cost the industry over $200 million in legal fees even though most of the cases have been dismissed. The lawsuits are designed to severely weaken or eradicate the firearms and ammunition manufacturing industry in the United States. “Gun manufacturers and dealers are highly regulated and responsible for following the law,” said Graham. “Passage of this legislation will end these frivolous suits which are driving gun manufacturers out of the business and out of the United States.” “I’m also glad we acted because our national security is at stake,” said Graham. “Some of the gun manufacturers who were targets of these frivolous lawsuits also provide firearms to our men and women in the U.S Armed Forces.” ####

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

WASHINGTON – South Carolina Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint today voted in support of the Interior Appropriations bill. The bill passed the Senate and will now be sent to the President for his signature. Among the notable projects for South Carolina include: Columbia: $200,000 to the Bethel Cultural Arts Center Greer: $500,000 to the Maple Creek Water Treatment Plant Myrtle Beach: $615,000 to the Myrtle Beach Storm Water Management System Olar & Govan: $733,000 to the Olar & Govan Regional Water System Orangeburg: $350,000 to the dam project at the National Fish Hatchery. The funds will also be used to help complete the water line construction project at the National Conservation Training Center. Statewide Projects Include: $800,000 to the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor ####

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, South Carolina’s Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint announced their support for the House-Senate highway conference report. The surface transportation bill provides $286.4 billion in federal highway contract authority between 2004 and 2009, and is expected to pass the Senate and the House later this week. President Bush is expected to sign the legislation soon after. “I’m very pleased we were able to get a deal that is more responsible for taxpayers,” said Senator DeMint, a member of the House and Senate conference committee. “This bill is not perfect but it’s a good step forward. I would have liked it to spend even less overall and to return even more to South Carolina, but this bill is a good compromise that stays within the budget and provides important benefits for our state.” “The highway bill is very good news for motorists in South Carolina,” said Graham. “As a state, we were able to secure a more equitable funding formula which will put additional dollars toward our road system. It truly moves the ball forward in our efforts to build new roads while maintaining and improving the ones we currently have. I’m also pleased we were able to do it without breaking the federal bank. The bill is more fiscally responsible than the first version of the highway bill Senator DeMint and I voted against.” In May, Senators DeMint and Graham voted against the original version of the bill that significantly exceeded budget authority. Their opposition, along with a veto threat from the President, pressured negotiators to agree on a more responsible bill that limits the six-year cost to $286.4 billion from fiscal year 2004 through fiscal 2009. Negotiators originally wanted to pass a $375 billion bill but the final compromise was much less, saving taxpayers over billions of dollars. The highway conference report includes several important benefits for South Carolina secured by Senators Graham and DeMint. Under the new highway program, a better formula will return more federal gas tax dollars to South Carolina. South Carolina will ultimately receive 92 percent back on every dollar it sends to Washington in gas taxes, which is a meaningful increase from the 90.5 percent the state has received since 1998. The bill authorizes a total of over $2.9 billion for South Carolina over the six-year life of the program, an increase of nearly twenty-eight percent. The conference report also includes a new safety program that will give states greater flexibility in addressing safety needs. This program will provide for safety improvements such as adding rumble strips, widening lanes, installing guard rails, and creating additional signage. All public roads are eligible for this new safety funding, benefiting states like South Carolina that have a high percentage of state-maintained roads. “This bill accomplishes one of my top goals for the year by giving our state more control over our highway dollars,” DeMint said. “But much more still needs to be done. I hope that the next reauthorization will address serious reforms and give states full control over their highways. The federal program was created to develop an interstate highway system, but that system has been created and now we need to let the states run it.” “I truly appreciate the work done by Jim [DeMint] and Henry [Brown] on the highway bill,” said Graham. “They’ve been leaders in this area and we all owe them a debt of gratitude for what they’ve been able to accomplish. Making sure our state was treated in a fair and equitable manner was a team effort, but these two guys served as team captains and deserve a great deal of credit.” In addition to several important policy changes the conference report provides a fair share for South Carolina by authorizing over $2.9 billion in funding for transportation and infrastructure projects all across South Carolina. Specifically, the bill provides for $81 million in authorized funding for I-73 in the Pee Dee, $26.6 million for US-278 in Beaufort County, $11.6 million for the Palmetto Parkway in Aiken County, $6.8 million for Highway 9 in Spartanburg County, $4 million for Highway 5 in York County, among many others. ######

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Congressman Bob Inglis (R-S.C.) joined U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-S.C) and Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) in announcing support for the House-Senate highway conference report. The bill promises to return to South Carolina at least 92 percent of the gas taxes collected in South Carolina. In the previous highway bills (renewed every 6 years) South Carolina's return ratio has been as low as 81 percent. The House-passed version of the bill called for expenditures of $284 billion between 2004 and 2009; the Senate-passed version would have spent $295 billion; and the conferees settled at $286.4 billion. The conference report is expected to pass the Senate and the House later this week, and President Bush is expected to sign the legislation soon after. “With pressure from the President and the budget resolution, the conferees stayed closer to the overall spending level of the House. That's good,” Inglis said. “With pressure from the donor states, the conferees got us to a 92 percent return ratio. That's even better.” The conference report contains $19 million for road projects in South Carolina's Fourth District. In a victory for fiscal accountability, those amounts (as well as all amounts earmarked for districts across the country) are included in the determination of the “return ratio.” “The highway bill is very good news for motorists in South Carolina,” said Senator Graham. “As a state, we were able to secure a more equitable funding formula which will put additional dollars toward our road system. It truly moves the ball forward in our efforts to build new roads while maintaining and improving the ones we currently have. I truly appreciate Bob’s work in the House helping ensure our needs were met and interests were protected.” “The funding for these projects will improve our infrastructure and make South Carolina more competitive while also improving safety and our quality of life,” said Senator DeMint. “Bob worked hard to make Fourth District needs a priority in Washington, and his efforts should be commended. I also want to personally thank Lindsey for his leadership and help to ensure South Carolina was treated fairly throughout this process.” Notable Funding for Fourth District Projects: West Georgia Rd, Greenville- $3,600,000 ICAR roads, Greenville- $6,800,000 Greenville Multimodal Center, Greenville- $1,000,000 Brockman-McClimon Interchange, Spartanburg- $800,000 SC 9, Spartanburg- $6,800,000 Hub City Connector, Spartanburg- $800,000 ####