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

WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today announced housing authorities in South Carolina will receive over $500,000 in grants to hire Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program coordinators. The FSS program encourages communities to develop local strategies to help families obtain employment that will lead to economic independence and self-sufficiency. Public housing agencies (PHAs) work with welfare agencies, schools, businesses, and other local partners to develop a comprehensive program that gives participating FSS family members the skills and experience to enable them to obtain employment that pays a living wage. The following grants will be awarded in South Carolina: Anderson The Anderson Housing Authority will receive $36,024 Beaufort The Beaufort Housing Authority will receive $25,227 Charleston The Charleston County Housing and Redevelopment Authority will receive $33,590 The Housing Authority of the City of Charleston will receive $45,568 Cheraw The Housing Authority of Cheraw will receive $23,000 Columbia The South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority will receive $41,603 The Housing Authority of the City of Columbia will receive $36,755 Florence The Housing Authority of Florence will receive $28,877 The Housing and Redevelopment Authority of Marlboro County will receive $23,000 Greenville The Housing Authority of the City of Greenville will receive $31,117 Greenwood The Housing Authority of the City of Greenwood will receive $35,971 Myrtle Beach The Myrtle Beach Housing Authority will receive $77,020 North Charleston The Housing Authority of the City of North Charleston will receive $40,000 Spartanburg The Spartanburg Housing Authority will receive $37,867 "This is an investment in the future of our state at a time when unemployment figures are rising," said Graham. "This program helps provide South Carolinians with the skills and assistance they need to find meaningful employment." 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 the issue of loans to Iraq today after the U.S. House of Representatives voted 277-139 to instruct conferees to keep the loan provision in the final version of the bill. Graham was one of eight Republicans in the U.S. Senate to support the idea when the body voted on the supplemental appropriation bill last week. He made the following statement: “We all understand Iraqi reconstruction is necessary as soon as possible, but it’s clear to me that both a majority of the House and Senate have serious concerns about a $20 billion grant. “There are two major issues that must be addressed to maintain strong domestic support for the Iraqi operation in terms of borrowed taxpayer dollars that have to be spent. First, it is imperative all debt incurred by Saddam Hussein’s regime be forgiven immediately. It’s unfair to the Iraqi people to have to pay debts occurred by their oppressor. Second, it’s equally unfair to the American taxpayer that our investments in Iraq could generate revenue to pay off Saddam’s debts. “After having been to Iraq, I know the Iraqi people are a strong, proud people. They want and deserve to be stakeholders in their future. It’s in our long-term interests to make them stakeholders. “Iraq is fortunate it sits atop a great resource, a sea of oil. When we make them full owners of this resource -- responsible for its upkeep, maintenance, and operation – there’s no doubt they will treat it with great care and respect. If we don’t make them stakeholders, it’s doubtful they will take the same interest. “President Bush was right to rid Iraq and the world of Saddam Hussein. He is right in wanting to help the Iraqi people rebuild their country. As I stood by him in going to war, I will continue to stand by him in winning the peace.” #####

Wes Hickman/Kevin Bishop

WASHINGTON – On a tour of Mount Vernon Mills, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today said it is past time for tougher safeguards to protect the textile industry from unfair, foreign competition, particularly from China. Graham noted the textile industry has been hard hit by the Chinese intentionally manipulating the value of its currency and those actions are having a direct impact on job losses in Upstate South Carolina. “There’s a perfect storm brewing in China which could destroy what remains of the textile industry in the United States,” said Graham. “China’s access to the U.S. textile and apparel market more than doubled in 2002, growing by an astounding 117 percent and is up an additional 114 percent so far in 2003. These are staggering numbers and the net result is we’re losing jobs here at home.” Graham blamed the Chinese for intentionally manipulating the value of their currency creating a competitive disadvantage for American producers. He noted the Chinese yuan has been tightly pegged to the US dollar in a range of 8.3 yuan per dollar since 1994.  Given China's enormous growth over the past decade, this fixed level most likely does not reflect its true value. If the yuan were allowed to float freely, like other major currencies, many economists believe it would appreciate substantially against the U.S. dollar. Economists at Goldman Sachs have estimated that the yuan may be undervalued by 15 percent and other experts say that number could be as high as 40 percent, meaning that the Chinese intentionally lower their currency's value to make their goods and services cheap internationally.  The practical effect of this currency manipulation means Chinese manufacturers receive a 15 percent to 40 percent discount on their exports, providing them with a nearly insurmountable advantage over American producers. “I fear that if we do not act quickly to counter China’s illegal efforts to dominate the United States apparel market, our domestic suppliers will not be able to recover,” said Graham. “I believe now is the time to slow this massive surge of Chinese imports. “We have lost thousands of textile jobs in South Carolina, not because the Chinese work harder or smarter, but because they are cheating,” said Graham. “The American textile worker can compete with anyone given a fair opportunity. Unfortunately, that opportunity does not exist in today’s’ economy.” Graham noted several avenues to help the industry. These include:

• Congressional passage of legislation Graham introduced along with Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Jim Bunning (R-KY) which imposes a 27.5 percent tariff on all Chinese imports if they do not put an end to currency manipulation. The legislation, S. 1586, allows the President to remove sanctions once he certifies that China has moved to a market-based currency. The tariffs would kick in after a 180 day grace period to ensure that Treasury officials have adequate time to work with the Chinese to institute reforms. Graham noted the U.S. Senate is on record in support of changing the Chinese currency practices. Last month, the body passed Senate Resolution 219 calling on China to abide by its international agreements and adopt a market-based system of currency valuation. The resolution passed Senate late last month without a single dissenting vote.
• Implement the China safeguards. In our trade agreements with China, the Bush Administration has the ability to impose tariffs on Chinese textile imports to level the playing field. These safeguard provisions should be activated. The safeguards would re-establish a quota on unrestricted textile or apparel categories --  such as knit fabric, dressing gowns and robes, and cotton gloves -- for a period of one year and could be expanded for two additional one-year periods.

“The textile industry provides jobs and benefits to hundreds of thousands of Americans,” said Graham. “The Bush Administration must act to protect these jobs from a communist dictatorship that manipulates and cheats rather than follow the rule of law.” #####

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

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today announced displaced employees at RST&B Curtain and Drapery in Woodruff and Conso International in Union are eligible to receive trade adjustment assistance (TAA). The Department of Labor has certified that both companies have suffered losses due to increased foreign imports and cheap foreign labor. TAA benefits help provide displaced workers with job retraining, educational advancement, resume writing and relocation assistance. Both companies also qualify for alternative trade adjustment assistance, a special program that benefits workers over the age of fifty. “These programs help soften the blow of job losses due to the unfair trade practices,” said Graham. “This is a perfect example of why we need to end trade abuses and enforce fair labor standards with all of our trade partners. We are simply asking for a fair playing field. American workers are hard-working and smart. When given the chance to compete in a fair market, no one can even come close.” Graham noted that manufacturing companies in South Carolina have been hard hit by unfair competition, much of it from China. The Senate recently passed a resolution he sponsored calling on the Chinese to stop undervaluing their currency. Some economists estimate that the yuan is now undervalued by as much as 40 percent. The undervaluation of the yuan makes Chinese goods less expensive for foreigners, and it makes foreign products more expensive for Chinese consumers. The effective result is a significant subsidization of China's exports and a virtual tariff on foreign imports. Undervalued currency and the efforts of the Chinese government to intervene in the yuan’s value violate the rules of the World Trade Organization. Graham has also taken a lead role in pushing the Schumer-Bunning-Graham bill through the Senate. This legislation would impose a 27.5 percent tariff on all Chinese imports if they do not put an end to their currency manipulation. In addition, it would allow the President to remove sanctions once he certifies that China has moved to a market-based currency. The tariffs would kick in after a grace period of 180 days to ensure that Treasury officials have adequate time to work with the Chinese to institute reforms. Graham and several other Senators also circulated a letter to Senate colleagues seeking support for action against China. The letter invited members to sign a letter to President Bush urging him to initiate the China special textile safeguard and take other actions to protect American textile companies from Chinese abuses. “I will continue to fight for South Carolina’s manufacturing jobs in South Carolina and across the nation,” said Graham. “Our manufacturing and textile economy has been hard-hit by unfair, foreign competition and it’s past time for it to stop.” Employees of RST&B and Conso should visit their local ‘One-Stop Center’ for more information on how to receive TAA benefits. There are ‘One-Stop’ locations in Spartanburg and Union. ####