Blog
Jun 28 2004
Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made the following statement on the handover of sovereignty in Iraq to the interim Iraqi government. Graham is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “I believe it’s smart to accelerate the handover of sovereignty to the interim Iraqi government. It highlights the fact Iraqi’s are ready and eager to assume self-governance. “The insurgents represent the past. They are trying to hold onto power because in a free and democratic Iraq the Saddam loyalists lose big time. The terrorists see Iraq as a frontline battle in their effort to undermine liberty and destroy peace loving people throughout the world. Their ultimate goal is to create a radical fundamentalist safe haven in Iraq. “After my recent visit to Iraq, I am convinced the Iraqi people have the will to defeat the terrorists. If we provide them with the capability, they are willing to pay a heavy price for their freedom. “We must redouble our efforts to provide well-trained forces capable of supporting the new government and increase efforts to help improve infrastructure, schools, and health care. Now is the time for the international community to step up to plate. “A successful democracy in Iraq is in the best interest of the world community. It is also a first step in eradicating extremism in the Middle East and terrorism around the globe.” ####Jun 25 2004
Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today announced the Medical University of South Carolina has been awarded three grants for more than $788,000 to conduct medical research. The following grants were awarded:- $270,100 for clinical research related to neurological disorders.
- $262,800 for cancer biology research.
- $255,500 for heart and vascular disease research.
Jun 25 2004
Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today announced the South Carolina Department of Public Safety will receive a $738,700 grant to aid in strengthening the state’s juvenile justice system. The money was awarded through the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant (JABG) program. The JABG program helps states and local governments improve their juvenile justice systems. Awards are made to each state based on the population of youth under the age of eighteen. The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice. ####Jun 25 2004
Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today announced the Lancaster County School District will receive a $399,774 grant to support counseling programs. Graham is a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. The funds will be used to establish or expand school counseling programs by hiring qualified school counselors, social workers, psychologists, or child/adolescent psychiatrists. Counseling services will use a developmental prevention approach, and will be designed and implemented with the involvement of parents of the participating students. The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Education. ####Jun 24 2004
Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today announced the Senate confirmed Bryan Harwell to the U.S. District Court. “I am pleased my colleagues in the Senate came together in a bi-partisan fashion to confirm Bryan Harwell to the U.S. District Court,” said Graham. “I have had the pleasure of knowing Bryan for years, and know without a doubt his character, ability, and temperament are beyond reproach. I would like to thank President Bush for nominating him.” “Bryan is an asset to Florence and South Carolina in both his personal and professional life,” said Graham. “He is an excellent attorney, and has dedicated himself to serving the community by helping to ensure all citizens have access to quality legal representation. In addition, he has served his country honorably as a Judge Advocate General officer in the South Carolina National Guard.” “His willingness to subject himself to the scrutiny of the United States Senate demonstrates his commitment to serving South Carolina,” said Graham. “Bryan will wear the robe with honor, respect the letter of the law, and treat all who come before his court with dignity. He will make us all proud.” ####Jun 24 2004
Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham’s (R-South Carolina) drive to help citizen-soldiers receive better health care benefits received a big boost this week. Twice the U.S. Senate voted to provide TRICARE, the military health care benefit, to members of the National Guard and Reserves regardless of their activation status. Today, the U.S. Senate passed 98-0 the defense appropriations bill funding reservists’ benefits, including a temporary expansion of the TRICARE program to members of the Guard and Reserve. On Wednesday, the Senate passed 97-0 its version of the defense authorization bill, including a Graham amendment making Guardsmen and Reservists eligible for the program. “I’m pleased the Senate agreed to the important change in the benefits package for members of the Guard and Reserve,” said Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “This is the first time the Senate has appropriated money to expand TRICARE to all members of the Guard and Reserve, regardless of their activation status. We’ve had overwhelming votes in support of giving our reservists better health care benefits. We’ve got more work to do before this becomes law, but this week was a very productive one in moving the bill forward.” “We’re calling upon the Guard and Reserve at the same tempo level we did during World War II,” said Graham. “On a percentage basis, it’s even greater. So now is the time to increase benefits for Guard and Reserve members.” Members of the guard and reserves would be eligible to enroll in TRICARE for a modest annual premium regardless of their deployment status. Premiums would be about $530/year for individual coverage and $1,860/year for families. When fully phased in the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the provision would assist more than 300,000 reservists and their family members. Graham said that in Iraq Guardsman and Reservists have rotated with the active-duty forces, increasing the reserve component share of the total U.S. forces to more than 40 percent. The reserves have also been charged with taking control of the entire peacekeeping mission in the Balkans. “Better health care benefits will help our recruiting, readiness and retention efforts,” said Graham. “They need it and I think based upon what they have been asked to do, particularly since 9/11, they’ve earned it. We’re going to continue to fight for better benefits for them.” “Guardsmen and Reservists are citizen-soldiers,” said Graham. “Increasingly they are being called up to duty, taken away from their work and families, and being sent to far-away lands for long tours of duty. We need to ensure the benefits they are receiving are equal to the sacrifice they are making to protect our country and interests around the world.” The Senate will now go to conference with the House of Representatives on both the Defense Authorization and Defense Appropriations bills. ####Jun 24 2004
Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today said Congress should heed the warnings contained in the recently released U.S.-China Economic & Security Review Commission report and take action to curb Chinese currency manipulation abuses. Graham was joined at the Capitol Hill press conference by U.S. Senator George Voinovich (R-Ohio). Graham noted the Chinese yuan has been tightly pegged to the US dollar in a range of 8.28 yuan per dollar since 1994. Given China's enormous growth over the past decade, if the yuan were allowed to float freely, like other major currencies, economists believe it would appreciate substantially against the U.S. dollar. The first recommendation to Congress made by the Commission was to address China’s currency manipulation. “The Commission report serves as a wake-up call to Congress,” said Graham. “We have lost thousands of manufacturing and textile jobs not because the Chinese work harder or smarter, but because they are cheating. Congress chose to empower the Commission to look into issues affecting U.S.-China relations, now the question is will we listen to them?” In its findings, the Commission reported:- China is systematically intervening in the foreign exchange market to keep its currency undervalued.
- An immediate and significant upward reevaluation of the Chinese yuan against the dollar, combined with the removal of discriminatory Chinese trade practices, should help reduce the U.S. trade deficit with China which was $124 billion in 2003.
- China’s intervening to keep the yuan undervalued is in violation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which says members should, “avoid manipulating exchange rates…in order…to gain an unfair competitive advantage over other members.”
- China should implement reforms to prepare them for an eventual floating exchange rate. At this time, they should refrain from moving to a floating exchange rate as its banking system and financial markets are not prepared.
- Initially gives China a window of 180 days to revalue their currency or be faced with a 27.5 percent tariff on all Chinese manufactured goods.
- Requires the President to certify China “is no longer acquiring foreign exchange reserves to prevent the appreciation of the rate of exchange between its currency and the United States dollar for the purpose of gaining an unfair competitive advantage…” The certification includes a determination that China has “undergone substantial upward revaluation placing it at or near its fair market value.”
- Provides that if China has made a good-faith effort to revalue, the President may delay the imposition of tariffs for an additional 180 days. If at the end of the additional 180 days, the President determines that China has developed a plan to revalue, he may delay the imposition of tariffs for an additional 12 months.