Dec 23 2016

“This provocative action by the United Nations is an outrage and must be dealt with sternly and forcefully.

“As the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I oversee the United States assistance to the United Nations. The United States is currently responsible for approximately 22 percent of the United Nations total budget.

“If the United Nations moves forward with the ill-conceived resolution, I will work to form a bipartisan coalition to suspend or significantly reduce United States assistance to the United Nations.

“In addition, any nation which backs this resolution and receives assistance from the United States will put that assistance in jeopardy.

“There is a reason the United States has long opposed these type efforts directed at Israel -- the only way to achieve a lasting peace by the parties negotiating directly and not using the United Nations as a blunt instrument against Israel. This was President Obama's position in 2011 and it should be his position today.”

####

Dec 23 2016

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made this statement on the United Nations Security Council vote on Israeli settlements.

“The Obama-Kerry foreign policy has gone from naïve and foolish to flat-out reckless. With friends like these, Israel doesn’t need any enemies.
“I anticipate this vote will create a backlash in Congress against the United Nations. The organization is increasingly viewed as anti-Semitic and seems to have lost all sense of proportionality. I will do everything in my power, working with the new Administration and Congress, to leave no doubt about where America stands when it comes to the peace process and where we stand with the only true democracy in the Middle East, Israel.
“The Middle East is on fire and Israel is surrounded by threats. Regardless of the terrorist attacks they suffer, or the number of rockets fired their way, Israel is always the bad guy in the United Nations.
“The United Nations will regret this vote and I hope the Obama Administration will realize the massive mistake they made on their way out of the door. With today’s abstention, the Obama Administration has empowered evil and been a very poor friend to democracy.”

#####

Dec 15 2016

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made this statement on the guilty verdicts delivered in the trial of Dylann Roof.

“This is the first and significant step in rendering justice for the nine victims who were murdered as they worshipped at Mother Emanuel AME Church. I know nothing can ever completely take away their pain, but I do hope the verdicts will provide some small measure of comfort to the families of the victims.

“If there was ever a justified guilty verdict, this was this case.”

#####

Dec 10 2016

Charleston Takes Monumental Step Toward Becoming 'Premier Port On The East Coast'

Contact: Kevin Bishop (864) 250-1417 or Taylor Reidy (202) 224-5972

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) said the Charleston Harbor Deepening Project has taken a monumental step toward becoming the ‘Premier Port on the East Coast’ with Senate passage of the Water Infrastructure Improvement for the Nation Act (WIIN).