LINDSEY GRAHAM Our Senator A Tribute Part 3 The Senators Tributes

LINDSEY GRAHAM: OUR SENATOR – A Tribute, Part 3: The Senate's Tributes

As the United States Senate gathered to honor one of its longest-serving and most respected members, colleagues from both political parties rose to remember the life and legacy of Senator Lindsey Graham.

In Part Three of our five-part tribute, we present the moving Senate memorial tributes delivered by the men and women who served alongside Graham throughout his three decades in Congress. Their remarks recall his unwavering commitment to South Carolina, his leadership on national security and the judiciary, his wit and humor, his fierce loyalty to friends, and his willingness to work across party lines when he believed it was in the nation's best interest.

These speeches offer a deeply personal portrait of Lindsey Graham—not simply as a senator, but as a mentor, confidant, and friend whose influence reached far beyond the Senate chamber.

This episode preserves for history the voices of those who knew him best, creating a lasting record of the respect and affection Senator Lindsey Graham earned from colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

This is Part Three of our five-part documentary tribute honoring the life, leadership, and legacy of Senator Lindsey Graham.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:44

This is a meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee, but something's missing. Lindsey Graham's missing. After all these years of working together with him, his absence is felt personally by so many of us. For four years I chaired this committee. He sat next to me. We were adversaries on many issues and many nominees. You would never have known it if you'd seen us outside this chamber because we were trusted friends of one another. His word was good. When he told me he'd do something, he did it. And I tried to keep that same trust, feeling of trust dealing with him. He ended up voting for 75% of the Biden judicial nominees. 75%. Wasn't easy, but he said from the beginning, I think Republicans have to vote for Democrats, and Democrats have to vote for Republicans. That's the way it's always been. I've tried to low up a little bit to that standard ever since. He was part of something called the Gang of Eight, which is really unique in the history of the Senate. There were literally four Democratic senators, myself included, four Republican senators, including John McCain and Lindsay, who sat down to rewrite the immigration laws of America. And that's long overdue. Well, we spent months at it. Every night after the session, sitting down and going through another section, we finally put it together on a bipartisan basis. Lindsay was a critical element of the critical part of that, as was many of the members of my colleagues. And we put it to the floor. Business supported it, labor supported it, the groups across the board supported it. It was thoughtful, it was balanced, it was a remarkable achievement on a bipartisan basis. It passed in the Senate with an overwhelming vote, but unfortunately was killed in the House of Representatives. Lindsay was part of that gang of eight. Lindsay was part of every gang. He couldn't be kept away. And he was invited in because he was always trying to find that bipartisan position that resulted in a new law, a new idea, a new solution. It's very important to him. Over 20 years ago, I introduced in this committee a bill called the DREAM Act. The DREAT said if you came to this country, if your mother and father brought you here as a kid, you ought to have a chance to work your way to legal status and citizenship in this country. I introduced it over 20 years ago. It's passed on the Senate floor once in a while, on the House floor once in a while, never in both chambers. Each year, I would introduce the bill. I would look for a Republican co-sponsor. In the beginning, it was a lot easier. Then it became harder and harder. Eventually, the one person I could count on to be a bipartisan co-sponsor was Lindsey Graham. And he did it at political peril. It wasn't a very popular position among some very conservative Republicans. But he did it for me. He did it for those kids. And I'll never forget that he was there when we needed him. Last week we were in Turkey at the NATO summit. Chris Goans and I and several members came together. We arrived to find, of course, Lindsay Graham, who got there before us, was working every crowd in every room. You'd think he was running for office. He had some ideas on how to end the war in Ukraine, and he wanted to share them with everybody there. Through the course of the week, we met with President Zelensky and many other leaders on a bipartisan basis. Each one of them greeted Lindsay by first name. Lindsay, it's great to see you. It just shows you his reach of influence and his involvement in the key issues, including war and peace of his day. I'm sorry to say that Wednesday was the last time I saw him. I think the same for Senator Cohn's last Wednesday. And then the terrible news came through on Sunday morning. I'm going to miss this man. He was an important part of the Senate, an important part of American government. He reached way beyond any definition of the job of the senator. He was really a person you could trust on a personal basis. You could confide in it, as he confided in you. I'm happy that his sister is going to take his place for the remainder of this year. He loved her. And when his parents passed away, he became legal guardian of his 13-year-old sister. It meant so much to him. Loretta and I send our condolences to her and Lindsay's family and the Legion of Friends in South Carolina and literally around the world who worked with this great man. I'm going to miss it. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

SPEAKER_10 6:01

Looking back at Lindsey Graham and the historic uh nature of the week of his passing and his stature as one of the great senators in American history. And of course in South Carolina history, this has been a big, a big deal with a lot of ramifications here in South Carolina. And so the whole state has been kind of cloaked in this collective sadness to lose a man of such huge impact. And you pick that up too on the national stage. In this episode, we're going to hear from his colleagues in the United States Senate as they spoke about Senator Graham. And we're going to look back also at a few moments with him, as we've been doing in these past now. This is our third in this series. And we also had a special that we put together the night that it happened, because uh he passed away somewhere in the evening, but it made the news around four o'clock in the morning. Uh and so we worked on a special series then. So uh, you know, if you go back in our back catalog, we have a show called Lindsey Graham 1955 to 2026, uh a tribute, and then of course these episodes of which this is the third in our installment, looking at the life and career of Senator Lindsey Graham.

SPEAKER_00 7:28

We're learning that longtime Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has passed away. His office says he died on Saturday night after what they call a brief and sudden illness. The statement says Graham's family is asking for privacy at this time. He represented the state of South Carolina in the U.S. Congress since 1995. Let's bring in CNN's Alex Michelson, anchor of the story is.

SPEAKER_07 8:11

Yeah, I mean, just posted a bunch of statements on the X yesterday in his official capacity. Uh, pictures and images of him working over the last few weeks are out there. So this coming out of nowhere, uh, that Lindsey Graham, one of the most important and influential voices in the United States Senate for many years, uh, somebody who has been one of the biggest champions of more United States military intervention, somebody who has championed the idea of military intervention in Iran for many years, somebody who's championed the United States relationship with Israel very closely for many years. Uh, and now all of a sudden, you know, there's been so much conversation about Mitch McConnell's uh medical uh reality right now. Nobody would have thought this would come now. Um it it, you know, it it's been an extraordinary life of public service, a controversial life. Somebody who was in the United States House of Representatives for many years, been in the Senate for many years as well, uh, became a close ally of John McCain uh and Joe Lieberman. They called themselves the Three Amigos and viewed themselves as sort of mavericks uh within the Republican Party. And then he ran for president in 2016 uh and said very negative things about Donald Trump at the time, but then would become one of President Trump's greatest allies uh just this week posting on social media that he was the GOAT of all presidents uh and has been a steering force more recently of President Trump's uh military intervention in Iran. Um so uh, you know, there it there are a hundred senators, um, not all of them stand out. Uh Lindsey Graham is somebody who has stood out for a long time and has been one of the most uh important members of that body um for many, many years.

SPEAKER_00 10:23

And he just turned 71. Uh, June 9th, he won the South Carolina Republican primary seeking re-election for Senate. Nobody expected that he wasn't going to continue traveling, wasn't going to continue uh pushing the causes that are important to him, although, as you as you mentioned, those priorities and those causes have certainly changed over time. Some have sort of wondered what is Senator Lindsey Graham's center. Do you think we ever really really knew that?

SPEAKER_07 10:57

I mean, I think one thing that you've seen over the years was that he clearly felt that an activist foreign policy uh and being a champion of the military and more military intervention is something that he's been talking about for decades, um, especially the Iran issue. Um, and and we've seen what's happened with that in the in the last few months as well. Um, but that has been sort of the criticism of Lindsey Graham over the years, what you're talking about. Um, but what he's also been very, very adept at as a political um practitioner was getting himself in a position of power and influence and kind of knowing where the winds were blowing within the Republican Party and heading there. Um, and in the process, giving himself um an ability to survive politically, to win election after election, uh, and to increase his seniority in in the Senate, uh, and to have more power uh for the people of South Carolina. Um, I mean, there they're this will certainly, you know, South Carolina is a solidly Republican seat. Um, it's hard to imagine, you know, flipping of South Carolina, North Carolina in a bit of a different place. But it's a bit early to start talking about the the political realities of what happens next, as as we all I think are just in shock at the idea that Lindsey Graham has suddenly died and and also reflecting on uh a life of decades of public service and he was just in Ukraine.

SPEAKER_00 12:42

He was just meeting with the Ukrainian president. What did he accomplish on that trip? And assuming from what we saw in all of the videos, the statements that he was making, he appeared to be in in very good health, just in in usual form. There was there was certainly no outward indication that there was anything physically wrong. His office saying this was a very brief, uh sudden and brief illness, uh, they said in their statement.

SPEAKER_07 13:07

And we don't know what that means, um, because he was posting about President Trump's trip to NATO and conversations that he was having with folks about that like two days ago. So how brief was this illness? Um we don't know what exactly that means. Is that a heart attack? You know, at this point, I think a lot of it would be speculation to try to think about that. Um, but uh yeah, I mean, Lindsey Graham, by every indication, um, was working up until the very last day and certainly putting out a public image uh that there were no issues at all. And he was very much involved uh in the job as as a senator from South Carolina, especially on the job of the foreign relations of the United States.

SPEAKER_00 14:01

And a very uh strong ally of President Trump who also really knew how to turn on the Southern charm. So even when he was talking about some of these contentious and controversial issues, there was something uh something very charming about Lindsey Graham. He was a likable guy from people that have met him, people that have interviewed him, uh they found him to be a very unique character, a unique uh personality in Washington.

SPEAKER_07 14:28

Yeah, and he and he, I think, really liked the media uh and had a long-standing relationship with many folks in it. I remember interviewing him myself back in 2016 when he was running for president, and it was stunning how anti-Trump his language was, uh, warning about what would happen if Donald Trump became president. And then, of course, after he became president, he became one of his closest allies. They would often golf together, uh, President Trump and Lindsey Graham and joke around on the golf course. I mean, for anybody that's met Donald Trump, he too is a very charming guy. Uh, and the two of them um would go back and forth in terms of jokes uh with each other. And and I think both of them, um, as people who sort of appreciate politics, were able to get over all those insults that they went back and forth on um and have a very productive working relationship for each other. Uh, you know, that that you know, Lindsey Graham was somebody who helped to deliver for President Trump in a lot of ways in the Senate. Uh, and President Trump was very helpful for Lindsey Graham's career. Um, as we've seen. I mean, he, as you mentioned, he won the South Carolina primary because there wasn't a real challenger. President Trump, as we've seen in the last few months, can endorse challengers to Republican primary uh uh opponents in in the Senate and essentially end the careers of Republican senators in the process. He did that with John Cornyn in Texas, he did that with Bill Cassidy uh in Louisiana. Uh he's been a supporter of Lindsey Graham. Uh, so they were able to move past their past uh problems um and and develop a very um strong working relationship. Um and I think uh Lindsey Graham is one of the senators from all the reporting um that President Trump was actually in in touch with most in the United States Senate as somebody who would work with him on uh formulating strategy on how to get things done.

SPEAKER_00 16:39

And President Trump certainly loves uh a turnaround story, somebody who is at one point a very contentious critic and that they're trading bars back and forth. If that person then turns around and starts to praise President Trump, uh, as Senator Lindsey Graham often did, and praised him very effusively in public, and often uh President Trump values that relationship and he takes care of those people.

SPEAKER_03 17:01

It's a sad day for all of us in the Senate, and particularly those that are very, very close to Lindsey Graham, and that would be most senators and obviously his staff. So I'd like to take a moment to honor the life of our fellow senator, Lindsey Graham. We were shocked by the sad news yesterday of his untimely death. Senator Graham was a devoted public servant through his military service as a colonel in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard, as well as being elected to office continually since 1992. Senator Graham was a very forceful and quick-witted presence in every room that he entered. His warm nature made everyone his friend, and I feel blessed to be one of them. A few feet from right here is the Senate cloak room. Frequently, Senator Graham would hold court there, and in holding court, he was making every senator laugh, no matter what the challenge we were dealing with on that particular day. He was infectious in the way he told a story, and of course, there was always a punchline. I was no stranger to being the butt of his jokes. Senator Graham loved to tell people how frugal I was, and that if I were ever to open my bell fold, dust and moss would come out of it. I don't know how many times I've heard that. Senator Graham always brought a smile to your face and levity to the halls of Congress. Senator Graham was no stranger to my home state of Iowa as his first in the nation for presidential elections in the year 2016 when he announced he was going to run for president. I had the privilege of showing him around a time or two during his campaign for president, and he was a fan of the good people of my state of Iowa, identifying with our shared values of hard work, of faith, and genuine care for one another. I also worked closely with Senator Graham on the Senate budget and judiciary committees, and we worked together for decades. He was a coveted ally on legislation and is chairman of those committees. He was always fair and he was always productive. From Supreme Court confirmations to criminal justice reform and border security, having Senator Graham in your corner was a great asset. He will be remembered for his many accomplishments as a national figure for the Republican Party. Senator Graham deeply loved his country. He was a bold leader, an impassioned national security hawk. He spoke his mind as we all know. And we all know that he had the capability and the desire to work across the aisle. He was at the center of some of the most famous deal-making groups in the past 30 years. He loved the Senate as an institution, and his hard-working staff was like family to him. Most importantly, he dutifully served the people of South Carolina. And his roots ran strong through him every day of his life. Barbara and I are praying for Senator Graham's family as we all grapple with the loss of the great man. And I think we can show our appreciation for the hard work is just two days before he passed. He was in Ukraine meeting with Zelensky. And he was announcing that he ha was going to move forward some very important legislation, putting additional sanctions on Russia because of their invasion of Ukraine. Suggests the absence of McCorum.

SPEAKER_09 22:28

The clerk will call the roll.

unknown 22:31

Mr.

SPEAKER_09 22:31

President, I come to the floor today with a heavy heart. I look to my right and I see a desk which we in the Senate refer to and know as the John Calhoun desk. It's covered with a black shroud, and on that top of that shroud is a bowl of white roses. That, Mr. President, is Lindsey Graham's desk. It's difficult to believe that Lindsey Graham is no longer here with us. That we won't run into him at a meaning day or share a joke with him at this afternoon's vote. The halls of the Senate already feel empty without him. And I know I'm not alone in that feeling. He was a friend to so many of us on both sides of the aisle. I know that I'm not the only one who finds it difficult to imagine the Senate without Lindsey Graham. Mr. President, the events of Lindsay's life have been well documented over the past couple of days. His humble beginnings in South Carolina. Sharing a single room with the rest of his family behind his family's bar. His guardianship of his younger sister Darlene after the untimely death of their parents. His long service in the Air Force, the South Carolina Air National Guard, and the Air Force Reserve. His career in politics. First as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, then as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, where I served with him for six years, and then in the Senate, where he was just completing his fourth term. In the Senate, Lindsay distinguished himself as a staunch conservative and a fierce advocate for South Carolina, but also as someone who was willing to work across the aisle to find common ground and to reach solutions. A lawyer by trade, he served as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee from 2019 to 2021, where he helped confirm a Supreme Court justice and numerous federal judges, the kind of judges who believe in following the law and the Constitution instead of legislating policy from the bench. Most of all, of course, Mr. President Lindsay was known for his national security and foreign policy work. There was no bigger believer in America's role in the world. He was confident that the United States could be a force for good, and he gave everything he had to ensuring that we would be. He was a friend and defender of freedom-loving peoples all over the world. He stood with the Ukrainian people in their fight against Russian aggression. And he died with his boots on, having just returned from a trip to Ukraine, his tenth. He believed fiercely in the importance of a strong national defense, in ensuring that our country and our military men and women were always prepared to deter and defeat any threat. But while there was always a lot made of his support for American hard power, he was also a big believer in the use of soft power, economic, diplomatic, and political solutions to the world's problems. I was fortunate to travel with him all over the world, including to Israel after Hamas's October 7th attack. And I saw firsthand the work that he did to promote American security and the security of freedom-loving peoples around the globe. And of course, I don't need to tell anyone in this body that Lindsay was fearless in his commitment to the causes that he espoused. It didn't matter to him whether he would catch flack on an issue. He was undaunted by the politics if he believed he was right on the principle. Senator, warrior, patriot, statesman. Words that we written about Lindsay. But for me, most of all, Mr. President, he was my friend. Without friends, Aristotle said, no one would choose to leave to live, I should say, although he had all other goods. And it's difficult to count the ways in which Lindsay's friendship made this job richer and its burdens lighter. Lindsay was as loyal as they come and a trusted advisor. I could always rely on him for straight talking advice. He never minced words or pulled punches. I could also rely on him for a steady flow of humor and encouragement. He always could make me laugh. Always. A familiar scene to me, but new, to him. And as the stars came out, you could see the Milky Way overhead, and you could hear coyotes howling and rooster pheasants cackling down below. Lindsay's wit punctuated all of it. And I will cherish those memories for a long time to come. Mr. President, if there is any light to be found in this grief, it is this. That as a Christian like Lindsay, I know that death is not the end. The Apostle Paul writes, and I quote, Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death. So that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again. And so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. End quote. Don't you believe a word of it? I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God. End quote. I will miss Lindsay's friendship, Mr. President, more than I can say. We pray for his staff and for his family, whom he loved dearly, and who loved him dearly in return. But I am comforted by the knowledge that in the end he has just changed his address. And that one day, Mr. President, we will laugh together again.

SPEAKER_05 30:19

I rise today with a heavy heart to honor my dear friend and colleague, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Before he ever set foot on this floor, he wore the uniform of the United States Air Force, serving three 33 years between the Air Force, the South Carolina Air National Guard, and the Air Force Reserve. That service and his upbringing and the back of his parents' South Carolina bar shaped everything about how he approached his work here in the city. He understood in a way too few in Washington, D.C. do what it costs to defend freedom. He was one of the loudest, most persistent voices this institution has seen on the importance of American leadership in this world. And before I joined the Senate, Lindsay was one of my earliest supporters. I am so grateful for his mentorship and his friendship throughout the years. Lindsay was really dear to my family. And through the years, he would call her on her birthday and wish her the happiest of birthdays. In a hilarious way that only Lindsay Graham could. Courtesy of Lindsay Graham. And I think he's probably still laughing about that one. Earlier this year, we were talking about Lindsay, you know, as doing dinner with Lindsay, as many of us did. And we were talking about this year's race because he was running for another term in the Senate. And my mother being very close to Lindsay, his number one fan in Iowa. She had a screensaver on her computer. It was her Lindsey Graham. If you asked my mother who her favorite senator was, it wouldn't be Senator Chim Gressley or even her daughter. It would be Senator Lindsey Graham. She was recognizing, should should I send Lindsay a donation for his campaign? And I was laughing about this with Lindsay. And so he's like, give me your phone. He said, let's shoot a video for your mom. And so he took my phone and he made this cute little 10-second video. And it went something like this. Marilyn, we love you. We love Tony. I know times are hard, but send money anyway. Lindsey Graham.com. He did that all the time. And he was always so funny. And I can't tell you how many times I watched that video over and over again. And just laughed. He was certainly a very funny man. Even when times were difficult. Behind the jokes was one of the most serious and effective legislators this body has ever known. He didn't care whose name was on a bill if the policy was right. He brokered friendships and alliances that many people in this town said were no longer possible. He fought hard. And then he would sit down and crack a joke with the people that he had just been arguing with. All of us here on this floor know that Lindsay was always moving. The man never stood still. He was always working the phones, phone call after phone call, whether it was President Trump or my mom back in Iowa. He was always certain that presence was power. I had the privilege of traveling many times over with Lindsay. The very first CODE, which is a congressional delegation trip that I took in the United States Senate, was with Lindsay. It was to the Munich Security Conference in Germany. And other senators on that trip, former Senator Joe Lieberman, a dear friend of his, Senator John McCain, who was his deepest and truest friend. And Senator Kelly A. We had a wonderful trip together. And it was such a great experience for me to see him on the world, easily moving from conversation to conversation with some of the world's most important and powerful leaders. And to see how much they deeply respected Senator Graham. His contributions to conflict resolution went well beyond the United States. Just days ago, Lindsay was in Ukraine meeting with President Zelensky and standing with a nation fighting for its survival. Because he believed at his core that American leadership was the difference between peace and oppression. Lindsey Graham was tough. He was funny. And he loved this country. To the people of South Carolina. And to Lindsay's family. And most especially to his sister, darling, and all who loved him. We're all mourning together. As a Christian like Lindsay, I know God will bring comfort where there is fear. Strength where there is shock. And hope where there is loss. Lindsay, we miss you. And this chamber will never be the same without you. Godspeed, my dear friend, and thank you for your service. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

SPEAKER_10 39:01

Senator Ray Cassidy of Louisiana.

SPEAKER_08 39:03

He was affable, always willing to work with others, regardless of how different backgrounds, beliefs, and positions were. He just focused on getting things done and had the courage to take on issues that others would not. We collaborated on something called Graham Cassidy, a bill which would have replaced Obamacare with coverage for everyone. Literally everyone, but at a lower cost than the Affordable Care Act. I always chuckle when I say the Affordable Care Act. And we were a good team because we complimented each other. I was a doctor always thinking about health care. He was the politician's politician. He told me, Bill, you're good at policy, but you're a terrible politician. And I would say that many people knew exactly what he was talking about. At one point, Bill, don't talk to me about politics. But you said you'd fight to get it passed. I go on Fox Morning and I know the president's watching. And if the president's watching a Fox Morning show, then I said we should be fighting to replace Obamacare. That's why somebody comes to Washington. Some people come to Washington to be a senator. Others come to Washington to do something as a senator. I speak myself, but I echo what colleagues have said. Lindsey Graham shall be missed.

SPEAKER_10 40:44

Senator John Hoven of North Dakota.

SPEAKER_04 40:47

Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to my colleague. But most of all, uh my friend, Senator Lindsey Graham. We were all shocked to learn of his passing this weekend. And I mean it stunned. It's hard to imagine the Senate without Lindsay. It already seems quieter. Well, Miss his humor, his advice, and uh, of course, his friendship. Lindsay was dedicated to serving the people of South Carolina and the nation, spending nearly his entire adult life in public service, from the military to the South Carolina House to the past 31 years. 31 years here, both in the House and in the Senate. Having spent 33 years in the Air Force, South Carolina Air Guard, or the South Carolina, or the reserves, Senator Graham was a staunch supporter of our men and women in uniform. Since 2010, he served as co-chair of the National Guard caucus. And with his help, we were able to successfully convince the Department of Defense to change its policy and allow guardsmen and reservists to concurrently serve their federal tuition, to receive their federal tuition assistance and their GI Bill benefits in full. Given our close personal friendship and his ardent support of our service members and our national defense, our military, I like to call him Gramble. For me, that was his nickname, Gramble. You know, kind of like Ramble. Well, he was Gramble. And he really was the Senate version of Ramble in all things military. And he was relentless, as we saw. I mean, right up until almost the day he died, he was working and advocating for our military on behalf of uh American uh military strength and uh our role as truly the leader of the free world. As chairman of the Senate budget committee, Senator Graham advanced conservative causes that have made our nation stronger and more prosperous. He helped steer through the working families tax cut, the one big beautiful bill, or the OB3. Uh it's got a lot of names, but the important point is it really made a huge difference for a country for working families. And he cared about that. He cared about taking on the big challenges, doing big things. And likewise, as budget chair, he was instrumental in helping us fund border security and law enforcement. He was a big part of helping us implement the Trump agenda, and that was so appropriate. Lindsay was really, you know, as they say in sports, he was a triple threat. He was a triple threat. He was a force in our Republican caucus. He could work with the Democrats, and of course, he had a tremendous relationship with President Trump. Uh and they truly cared about each other. They were they were real friends. They worked together, but they truly were friends. And we'll miss all of that. As former chairman and a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Graham shaped the federal judiciary. And think of how impactful that has been. From the Supreme Court down to the District Court. He played a central role in the confirmations of Supreme Court justices, including justices Alito, Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, and Barrett. While also helping to overcome a massive oversee, a massive conservative shift in federal policy. I think. The time that on the Judiciary Committee he really said what he thought, what he felt in his heart about Justice Kavanaugh was perhaps if if not his finest moment, one of his truly finest moments, where he truly stood up and said what he felt was right on the national stage and made an incredible difference, a lasting and important, incredible difference. And it wasn't rehearsed, it was just Lindsay spontaneously being Lindsay, saying what he was in his heart. That old saying, um, speak from your gut with your heart. And boy did he. And it made a huge difference. And that that was vintage Lindsey Graham. Uh, his leadership on defense judiciary and budget issues will be felt for years to come. But for all his accomplishments in the Senate and around the globe, Senator Graham was most proud of his family. He was a loyal and loving brother and uncle, who once said of his sister, quote, of all the things that have happened in my life, her turning out so well is a highlight of it by far, end quote. And it is only fitting that his sister Darlene will serve in his place. We extend her a warm welcome to the Senate, like Senator Graham did with so many of us. And it's almost as if Lindsey and President Trump had one more call after the call that night, where they talked. Lindsey had gotten back from Ukraine, and uh President called him and they, or he'd called the president. They talked on the phone, and it was shortly after that that Lindsay had his heart attack and died. But it's almost like they had one more call, one more call where Lindsay was able to call President Trump again, or President Trump was able to call Lindsay, and they talked about you know who should replace Lindsay during that period before the election when the people of South Dakota uh South Carolina will elect their next senator to replace Lindsay, and they decided on Darlene, and how fitting, how appropriate. And so big thanks to President Trump for recommending to Governor McMaster that he appoint Darlene. We're so pleased to have her here, and it's so fitting and appropriate. You know, my my wife Mikey and I are praying for Lindsay and for his whole family, and I have to say that my wife Mikey was always a big Lindsay fan. And uh one time she just tells, we're at dinner or something, she just tells Lindsay how much I liked and respected Lindsay. So I said to her, Later, I said, Why did you do that? She goes, Well, because you do. You really like him, you respect him. So I just I said, Yeah, I know I do, but you know, he's my buddy. You're not supposed to tell your buddy that, they're just supposed to know it. But it's true. I think we all did, both sides of the aisle. And so we will miss him incredibly. The country, the state of South Carolina will miss him. Uh, our country will miss Lindsey Graham and his incredible service. May God bless Lindsay and uh his entire family. Thank you, Mr. President.

unknown 47:46

Mr.

SPEAKER_02 47:47

President, a lot of words have been said today about our colleague Lindsey Graham and his passing. As you know well, where my desk sits, I literally sit and stand directly behind Lindsay's chair, where right now there's a black drape and white roses where he should be today. But he's not. We miss our colleague. We miss his humor, we miss his ideas, we miss his insight in a lot of things. His passion for Israel, his passion for national defense, his passion for the life of the unborn, his passion for this body and for our nation and for South Carolina. But as much as we miss him here, we also understand full well there's a lot of grieving in South Carolina, and especially with his family, and with Darlene, who will be here tomorrow being sworn into this body as she takes her seat, literally sitting in the same chair that he was sitting in two weeks ago. So, Mr. President, I thought it'd be appropriate that we do more than just talk about him. Many of us have actually shared we're praying for his family, we're praying for his staff, we're praying for the folks around him. So I thought it'd be appropriate here in this body that we don't just talk about him, that we actually fulfill the words that are on the wall in our building where it says, In God we trust. And just to take a moment to just express that. So, Ms. President, I'm going to take just a moment to be able to pray for Lindsay's family. Father, I do ask that you would help Darlene and help the whole family right now as they grieve and struggle through this. The 10 million emotions that she has to feel right now, both with the loss of her brother and with the responsibility of coming to this body to hold this spot for months. Pray that you give her the strength that she needs, the insight that she'll need in the days ahead. And that you would comfort her as she grieves. For all of Lindsay's family, so many friends, for his staff. God, we ask that you would fulfill what your word says in Psalm 34, 18, where it says that you are near to the brokenhearted, and you save those who are crushed in spirit. We count on that today, Father. Because this body will need your help. Lindsay's family needs your nearness. People of South Carolina and so many friends will need that. So, Father, help us as we grieve, and help us to be able to honor you in the days ahead. God, I'm grateful that you are the one who cares for each of us and that you can be trusted every day. So we are grateful for that. So help us. Guide us in the days ahead to do things well and to be able to honor you and our work. That's all we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

unknown 51:07

Mr.

SPEAKER_02 51:07

President, I remember the first week that I came into this body, Lindsay caught me just in a random conversation. And he said, You and I are the only Southern Baptists that are in the Senate now. And he smiled at me and said, You should probably talk about that more than I do. And I've never forgotten that whole conversation. That was just classic Lindsay. He's a person that loved this body, loved the country, and loved the people of South Carolina, and it showed. And as we grieve, I pray that we grieve together and that we go again and again and again to the source that hears our grieving and that meets us in our pain. With that, I yield the floor. Senator John Langford.

unknown 51:52

Mr.

SPEAKER_02 51:52

President, a lot of words have been said today about our colleague Lindsey Graham and his passing. As you know well where my desk sits, I literally sit and stand directly behind Lindsay's chair, where right now there's a black drape and white roses where he should be today. But he's not. We miss our colleague. We miss his humor, we miss his ideas, we miss his insight in a lot of things. His passion for Israel, his passion for national defense, his passion for the life of the unborn, his passion for this body and for our nation and for South Carolina. But as much as we miss him here, we also understand full well there's a lot of grieving in South Carolina, and especially with his family, and with Darlene, who'll be here tomorrow being sworn into this body as she takes her seat, literally sitting in the same chair that he was sitting in two weeks ago. So, Mr. President, I thought it'd be appropriate that we do more than just talk about him. Many of us have actually shared we're praying for his family, we're praying for his staff, we're praying for the folks around him. So I thought it'd be appropriate here in this body that we don't just talk about him, that we actually fulfill the words that are on the wall in our building where it says, in God we trust. And just to take a moment to just express that. So, Mr. President, I'm going to take just a moment to be able to pray for Lindsay's family. Father, I do ask that you would help Darlene and help the whole family right now as they grieve and struggle through this. The 10 million emotions that she has to feel right now, both with the loss of her brother and with the responsibility of coming to this body to hold this spot for months. Pray that you would give her the strength that she needs, the insight that she'll need in the days ahead. And that you would comfort her as she grieves. For all of Lindsay's family, so many friends, for his staff. God, we ask that you would fulfill what your word says in Psalm 34, 18, where it says that you are near to the brokenhearted, and you save those who are crushed in spirit. We count on that today, Father. Because this body will need your help. Lindsay's family needs your nearness. People of South Carolina and so many friends will need that. So, Father, help us as we grieve. And help us to be able to honor you in the days ahead. God, I'm grateful that you are the one who cares for each of us and that you can be trusted every day. So we are grateful for that. So help us. Guide us in the days ahead to do things well and to be able to honor you and our work. That's all we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

unknown 55:13

Mr.

SPEAKER_02 55:13

President, I remember the first week that I came into this body, Lindsay caught me just in a random conversation. And he said, You and I are the only Southern Baptists that are in the Senate now. And he smiled at me and said, You should probably talk about that more than I do. And I've never forgotten that whole conversation. That was just classic Lindsay. He's a person that loved this body, loved the country, and loved the people of South Carolina, and it showed. And as we grieve, I pray that we grieve together and that we go again and again and again to the source that hears our grieving and then meets us in our pain. With that, I yield the floor.