LINDSEY GRAHAM Our Senator A Tribute Part 4 Senate and House Tributes

LINDSEY GRAHAM: OUR SENATOR – A Tribute, Part 4: Senate and House Tributes

The tributes to Senator Lindsey Graham continued as members of both the United States Senate and the South Carolina congressional delegation reflected on the life and service of a man who shaped South Carolina politics for more than three decades.

In Part Four of our five-part documentary tribute, we present additional Senate memorial speeches along with heartfelt remarks from South Carolina Representatives Ralph Norman, Russell Fry, and Joe Wilson. Their tributes recall Graham's dedication to public service, his leadership on national defense and foreign policy, his devotion to South Carolina, and the friendships he forged throughout his career.

These remarks also capture a pivotal moment in South Carolina history as the state's leaders honored Graham's extraordinary legacy while looking ahead to the future of the Senate seat he held for so many years.

Through these speeches, we preserve the voices of those who served alongside Lindsey Graham and ensure that their reflections become part of the historical record.

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

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Transcript

SPEAKER_08 0:25

Senator, our other friend from South Carolina, Tim Scott. I was so glad to see you and and Governor McMasters. Both of you are dear friends of mine, also. And he loves South Carolina. He is am I wrong in describing Lindsay? He loved that job more than anybody that's ever been in that chamber. Am I wrong?

SPEAKER_16 0:47

No, not you have Sean, you were 100% right. As a matter of fact, he had more fun doing the job than anybody in American history. And frankly, Sean, you missed only one point, by the way. Only one point did you miss. He loved you, Sean. He loved you so much. And I gotta tell you I loved him back. Sitting there with Lindsey Graham in 2020, he told me himself, because of you and your audience, he's still in the United States Senate. He was virtually uh tied with Jamie Harrison in 2020. He came on your show and he said, Lindsey Graham.com, I think five days a week. And literally, you and your audience pulled him out of the Jaws of Defeat. And I gotta tell you, if I heard it one time, I heard it a thousand times. Your show and you saved him. And the other thing he said, Sean, which I think is kind of remarkable, you made him more conservative. That thing a lot, I gotta tell you. You know, well, I gotta tell you so much credit. It was amazing.

SPEAKER_08 1:45

There were me there were times he infuriated me, I'm not gonna lie. And the beauty was we could fight it out in public, on air, it didn't matter, and then we still remain friends. And I gotta throw this back at you because he loved you too. And, you know, thank you. When listen, one thing he always recognized, you had the higher poll numbers by a long shot. And you do. It's just a statistical fact. And but you would go to battle and and war politically for Lindsey Graham, and he loved you for it, appreciated your help, your support. The same with Governor McMaster. And President McGraham.

SPEAKER_16 2:28

He was my brother, not just my friend. Uh-huh. Listen, President Trump, he and President Trump have the best relationship I've ever seen in politics, honestly, without any question. They they've talked every day, they played golf every weekend, and they disagreed without being disagreeable. I wish more people in our party would realize that President Trump is the ruler of the free world and support him, just like Lindsey Graham did. It does not mean you cannot disagree. It means that at the end of the day, you gotta trust his instincts, and Lindsay did. Lindsey learned a lot on the campaign trail in 2015, 2016, and he invested it on for America around the world as a United States senator, working hand in glove with the president of the United States. But I gotta tell you what, he loves South Carolina, he loves his sister. Congratulations, Darlene. You're gonna do a fabulous job. But Lindsay Graham was a true patriot. You made him better, your audience kept him in office, and I am so thankful that I had 13 years side by side with a great warrior who leaned on his faith as a kid growing up in very humble beginnings. We oftentimes forget every single one of us were human. As a human, Lindsay Graham stood strong. He says, I'm not a self-made man. I can't believe it, Sean. He said, I'm not a self-made man. My faith, my family, my friends and neighbors took me through the hardest times of losing both my parents, adopting my sister. He loved you, he loved God. Boy, did he love America.

SPEAKER_08 3:55

What a great guy! He really did. He loved he will be sorely missed. I will say this. I got up about four o'clock in the morning yesterday, and I saw that you had called at three, a little after three. Yes. And I said, uh oh. I know Tim Scott doesn't drink, so it's not drinking. Uh I doubt it was a butt dial.

SPEAKER_16 4:13

That's right.

SPEAKER_08 4:14

And then I realized, uh oh, this is not going to be good news. And you were kind enough to call me and let me know. I'm very grateful he loved you and told me often. Uh, Senator Tim Scott, you are a dear friend to him and a real friend, but it mattered. You're a good man. God bless you.

SPEAKER_25 5:23

Uh, going through after his passing of one of the true giants of the United States Senate, clearly one of the giants of the 21st century in the United States Senate, Lindsey Graham. We're going to join uh more tributes from both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and a look at more of his career in this our fourth installment of our tribute to Lindsey Graham, our senator.

SPEAKER_02 5:51

When was the last time the two of you spoke?

SPEAKER_06 5:55

Oh, a couple of months ago. Um, it was a couple of months ago. Um, I uh had dealt with Lindsay a lot while I was ambassador to Turkey, um, particularly uh the effort to get Sweden into NATO. There were some things that uh Turkey wanted the U.S. Congress to do, and Lindsay was very effective in uh bringing that about. So we had a lot of discussions uh while he was in DC and I was in Turkey A, and uh we've talked a few times since.

SPEAKER_02 6:23

And he was uh effective um uh objectively in trying to persuade the president repeatedly to keep the NATO alliance together um with uh the US leading the way. The most recent uh NATO summit just last week also highlighted that push from from Lindsey Graham. Um the president over the weekend, when he was speaking to a number of networks, including CNN and talking and mourning uh about the passing of his friend, noted some of his brightest moments in his view, and uh one of them was when he said that the senator excoriated you during the Brett Kavanaugh hearings. Uh it was in a committee room, it was in private, but he excoriated you for pushing for an FBI investigation into some of the claims uh of sexual abuse and violence. Um and then you you said that same night, over dinner, he told you that you did the right thing. Um so tell us more uh about what that story says uh about who Lindsey Graham was.

SPEAKER_06 7:29

Well, that was Lindsay. He's adaptable, and he he's you know, he was very much opposed uh to prolonging the investigation or to launching an FBI investigation. I felt strongly that we needed to do that, and he he did go right after me uh in the committee room and then in the anti-room, uh, even louder, saying, You can't do this, you can't do this. Uh, but I did, and uh within a couple of hours he was back at me saying, Hey, that was the best thing ever. Uh, let's go have dinner. And we did. And uh and and that was Lindsay. He uh he adapted. Um he adapted to the Trump era, and uh he felt that he could influence the president. And as you mentioned, uh in particular, in terms of American leadership abroad, uh Lindsay has had a tremendous effect, I think, in keeping the NATO alliance together, uh, making sure that American leadership uh, you know, goes on in Europe. That's important.

SPEAKER_02 8:25

Well, that adaptation that that you just noted, he was really emblematic uh of the sort of arc that we saw with the Republican Party and how initially there had been fierce criticism of Donald Trump when he set uh down those that that escalator at Trump Tower in 2015, announcing his bid for the presidency to today. In fact, in 2015, Lindsey Graham said that the answer to making America great again was to tell Donald Trump to go to hell. Um, he's changed quite a bit since then. Now listen to the joke that that he made just last month about the president.

SPEAKER_11 9:03

I want to start with a bunch of thank yous. I want to thank the big guy, uh God. Trump comes later. Ms. President, you're not far behind God, but we're gonna start with him.

SPEAKER_02 9:15

And that was Lindsey Graham celebrating his primary win again just last month for uh a fifth term seeking the the Senate position there in uh South Carolina. Jonathan Martin of Politico writes this morning that that what we saw was an example of a cynical capitulation, but maybe it was worth it, as you note, because that embrace of Donald Trump um, while still maintaining his hawkish support uh for uh alliances, um, for uh fighting against Russia with sanctions, um, and for keeping the U.S. with NATO, that that worked. Do you believe that this capitulation, if that's what it was, was worth it ultimately?

SPEAKER_06 9:58

Well, I can just say I I couldn't do it. I'm not uh a good enough politician, apparently. Uh, but I was always glad that Lindsay was there. Uh I was always I always knew that he believed in strong American leadership, he believed in our alliances, and that he was uh influencing the president, and and he did. So uh I can't speak to whether it's capitulation or not. Uh I'm just glad he was there as long as he was.

SPEAKER_02 10:23

Well, Lindsey Graham, to his credit, I guess, was very transparent when asked why the change, why was he constantly embracing the president, why did was someone who was such an ardent critic become such a supporter? And he said that it came down to being relevant, that Donald Trump called him. They spoke frequently, even the hours apparently before his passing, that he played golf with him, that he made him feel important to be in the room. As you just noted, you you're different. And we recall uh your speech on the Senate floor in 2017 when you said that you would not seek another term. You said I will not be complicit. And that ultimately cost your career. Watching how Lindsey Graham's story has ended now, do you ever wonder back about your own choice?

SPEAKER_06 11:13

No, not at all. Not for a minute. Um, you know, I I had to face uh my family and uh and I had uh you know said that I didn't agree with the president's policies and couldn't condone his behavior. And for me to just uh flip on a dime and say, uh, hey, you know, those policies I disagreed with that are drawing on me or the president's behavior, I kind of like it now. I I just couldn't do it. Um but uh I mean there are you know a couple of ways to influence. I don't pretend for a minute that I can have as much influence outside of the Senate, but uh but I you know I just couldn't turn on a dime and uh and do that. I I don't think I would have been effective at it, and uh I certainly wouldn't have slept well at night.

SPEAKER_23 11:56

The late Senator Lindsey Graham will be succeeded in the U.S. Senate at least temporarily by his sister Darlene, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster announced the appointment this afternoon, and the newly designated Senator said she's ready to continue the work of her brother.

SPEAKER_03 12:12

I think this is what Lindsay would have wanted, and I plan to honor him in this way. Now to Lindsay, I miss you more than I can even put into words, but I'm gonna do this. I got it.

SPEAKER_23 12:30

Lindsey Graham died Saturday of an aortic dissection and cardiovascular disease. He had served more than 30 years in Congress, becoming one of the nation's most prominent voices on foreign policy, and later one of President Trump's top allies. Our congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins has more on Lindsey Graham's life and impact.

SPEAKER_02 12:49

Please welcome the United States Senator from South Carolina, the Honorable Lindsey Graham.

SPEAKER_15 12:58

Senator and security hawk, Lindsey Graham was a powerful study in contrast, often unshakable, yet repeatedly capable of reversal. Known for his humble beginnings. Gibbs Knotts is a political scientist and provost of Coastal Carolina University. As support of President George W. Bush's war in Iraq dropped, Graham tripled down his backing.

SPEAKER_11 15:01

By every measure, the surge of the troops into Iraq has worked.

SPEAKER_15 15:08

Then in 2013, Graham and his close friend, Arizona Senator John McCain, tackled another politically perilous, but critical issue: immigration. As one of the so-called Gang of Eight, Graham helped push immigration reform through the Senate, aiming to block illegal immigration with more border agents, while offering a path to citizenship for those already in the country.

SPEAKER_11 16:23

This is the most unethical sham since I've been in politics.

SPEAKER_15 16:34

But he did break with Trump on January 6th, after the Capitol was attacked by a pro-Trump mob.

SPEAKER_11 16:40

Trump and I have we've had a hell of a journey. I hate it being this way. Oh my god, I hate it. From my point of view, he's been a consequential president. But today first thing you'll see. All I can say is uh count me out, enough is enough.

SPEAKER_15 16:58

But another flip, as Graham soon would actively campaign with and earn praise from Trump in 2024.

SPEAKER_14 17:05

I think Lindsay Graham had some of his famous shifts, in part to be continue to be relevant. I mean, he wanted to be an effective senator when there was a Democratic president and also when there was a Republican president.

SPEAKER_15 17:26

Critics saw him as a warmonger, but Graham didn't change. And while others wavered, Graham remained a fiery advocate for U.S. aid to Ukraine. Graham visited the country just prior to his passing. At home in June, Graham won an expensive primary and saw himself as entering a fifth term, thanks in part to Trump's backing. In the past two days, Trump and others paid tribute to Graham.

SPEAKER_04 17:56

I don't know how you find anybody like him.

SPEAKER_10 17:59

He was so uh intent on he was confident that the United States could be a force for good, and he gave everything he had to ensure that we would be.

SPEAKER_21 18:10

Israel uh has lost one of the great champions of the American-Israeli Alliance. And frankly, I've lost a beloved friend who uh I've had for many decades.

SPEAKER_15 18:23

Graham ended what would be his final victory speech last month with one thought, and it was for his state.

SPEAKER_11 18:29

I'm going to enjoy tonight as a gift from God and the people of South Carolina. I'm going to bed tonight, the most grateful person on the planet.

SPEAKER_15 18:39

Lindsey Graham was 71.

SPEAKER_23 18:42

And Lisa joins us now. Lindsey Graham's death came as a shock, a surprise to all of Washington, certainly. What have you been hearing in response?

SPEAKER_15 18:50

That's right. Those who agreed or disagreed with him, this was a shock for all of them. You know, Graham one in South Carolina had particular hold. One South Carolinian I was texting with today said, you know, they had had hope that maybe Graham would end up in the cabinet or that another GOP president would raise him up into the cabinet. Would Graham said yes, unclear. But one Democrat who did not agree with Graham said he was a force. There was no ignoring him in the Senate, and also added that he had a devilish sense of humor, which came out a lot. I noticed I've covered him for decades, including in South Carolina, and I noticed in the past few years he'd become increasingly frustrated. He seemed more prone to sort of lash out at the press in particular. But the last time I talked to him, just a couple of weeks ago, he was a very happy warrior. And I think that he definitely leaves a big legacy. But this is a problem for Ukraine. He's one of their biggest advocates. There is some push to get through the sanctions bill for Russia that he wanted in tribute to him.

SPEAKER_23 19:44

So his sister fills his seat temporarily, and then what happens?

SPEAKER_15 19:47

Right. Now, she begins tomorrow. That's good news for Senate Republicans. But after that, South Carolina will move quickly to find a new Republican nominee. Let's look at the dates here in particular. Um what's going to happen here is that they will vote in less than a month for their new nominee, and then there will be a runoff if they need one on August 25th. So this is going to move within just weeks to figure out who will be the new nominee. And likely in this Republican Senator, they in this Republican state, they will have an advantage to likely become the next Senate. There are many people in South Carolina who would like a chance at this job. And these are four of them right here. That's the Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evitt, Congresswoman Nancy Mace, Governor Henry McMaster, and Congressman Ralph Norman. Interestingly, Jeff, all four of those, what do they have in common other than just ambitious? All of them are leaving their current jobs and may be interested in this Senate opening.

SPEAKER_23 20:43

And this happened, this all unfolded as the nation was watching and focused on the health of another Republican senator, Mitch McConnell, made some news over the weekend to bring us up to speed.

SPEAKER_15 20:53

That's right. We talked about this last week. McConnell was admitted to a hospital, as our viewers know, on June 14th. And over the weekend, his office posted this statement. I want to read some of it to you. Last month I took a fall, which landed me in the hospital. My doctors have confirmed that I didn't break any bones or suffer a concussion. I didn't have a heart attack or a stroke. I don't have any tumors or hemorrhages, but I was briefly unconscious and was taken to the hospital while receiving excellent care over the past several weeks. I've also had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia. His staff also posted this photo of him with a newspaper in the corner to show that it was a current photo. We do not know when he's going to return, and it's possible he may not know yet either, depending on how his recovery goes.

SPEAKER_23 21:39

So what's this all mean for Senate votes going forward since Republicans have a slim majority?

SPEAKER_15 21:44

Senate designate Nordone, as she is right now, does help Republicans a lot. Texting with my leadership sources, they're very happy that she'll be sworn in, we believe, tomorrow. However, they still have the problem of Mitch McConnell being absent indefinitely. So this leaves the Senate with a ratio of 52 Republicans to 47 Democrats at a very critical time. The Senate's only supposed to be in session for another seven weeks or so. And in that time, they've got a fund government, runs out again September 30th. They still have a defense bill. They still have the issue of the Save Act over them for Republicans. Mordon comes into all of that as someone who doesn't have any political office in the past. She has been a campaigner. We know she's worked with the disabled, but she's Going to be someone who actually will be in a very tense, fast-moving Senate potentially.

SPEAKER_23 22:30

Lisa Desjardin. Lisa, thank you.

SPEAKER_15 22:32

You're welcome.

SPEAKER_24 22:33

New Jersey Corey Booker. He worked alongside Senator Graham on the Senate Judiciary Committee for many years. Senator, good morning. Thank you for being here.

SPEAKER_20 22:41

I appreciate it. Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_24 22:45

You said that uh Lindsey Graham had the ability to get things done that others could not. Talk about um what some might see as sort of a uh a strange bedfellows relationship working together in your time in office.

SPEAKER_20 22:56

Yeah, look, I I came to the Senate with models like uh uh Orrin Hatch and uh uh Teddy Kennedy, strange bedfellows who got big things done. And I opened the door right away to work with Lindsey Graham on things I thought we could align with, like uh my mission to end mass incarceration in our country and found within him an unlikely partner that helped me land some of the biggest wins I've had in the Senate from foreign relations, because we are on the Foreign Relations Committee, uh, when it comes to things like aid to Africa and African countries, all the way to finally getting the First Step Act passed. He's a puzzle to me. I mean, I I played football in the Pac-10 and have banged my head and helmet with a lot of people, but I don't think I headbutted anybody as hard as he and I when we disagreed, fought uh ferociously. But he was the kind of guy that when the spotlight was off, he's like, hey, Corey, can we talk and try to figure out is there a way to make a deal? Is there a way to get something done amidst of all the disagreement? And in that sense, he is somebody that I'm really gonna miss uh in terms of my ability to find battleground with him and fight over the things that mattered, but also still find that common ground.

SPEAKER_24 24:06

Yeah, talk more about that because I I remember this just brings to mind for me in particular the confirmation hearing of Katanji Brown Jackson um for the Supreme Court and how vitriolic, and I mean the the the heated nature of the dialogue between the two of you and others in those hearings is hard to forget. Um what was it like after those hearings ended?

SPEAKER_20 24:28

Yeah, I mean, from Kavanaugh to Katanji Brown Jackson, uh some of my worst public fights I've had with any senator were with him. Um, but yet uh, you know, you you see him in the hallway the next day, and he would smile and come up to me on a different subject entirely and uh pull me in to say, hey, let's get this done. It was almost like he was sending me a message from the time I got there that we are gonna fight like hell, you and I. Uh you're uh uh a high-profile guy that's gonna uh fight for what you believe in. I'm gonna fight for what I believe in, but we're gonna throw a lot of punches at each other. But we should never stop having the door open uh for us to do something good while we're here. I I remember a time I was actually frustrated with the Biden administration. I was talking to Chris Kuhnz about this this morning, that he and I couldn't believe uh the small amount of money for a lot of our uh global feeding programs, like the World Food Program. Uh Lindsay's on appropriation. So Chris and I went to him and said, This is too low of a number. Can you figure out a way to help us get a lot more into the budget, get it passed? And uh to his credit, the three of us went to work and got uh billions more. I mean, literally, I can only imagine that there are tens of thousands of people that uh that that survived as a result of that. So it's hard often to hold these things both in your mind that he had foreign policy positions that I found uh horrific. But at the same time, uh, by keeping those lines of communication, those doors open and forging a friendship despite it all, allowed us to find those moments where, God, uh uh we really made a difference.

SPEAKER_24 26:10

This morning, uh Senator Booker, President Trump said that Graham's passing was a quote, big blow to the Save America Act, which is his uh voter suppression bill, for lack of a better way to put it. What are your thoughts on that?

SPEAKER_20 26:23

Well, I I have a lot of uh anger towards this president. And um uh I know a lot of private conversations with Lindsey Graham around uh what he talked to the president about. And so, you know, the president can try to um uh profit off of his passing in any way that he wants. But I know the last bill that he was talking to the president about, which was about Ukraine and sanctioning Russia. I hope we can get that actually done. I know that Lindsey Graham, uh, despite my disappointments with him and his complicity towards the president, I know he was often the guy trying to stop the president from his worst inclinations. So I hope this president doesn't now try to exploit his death in pursuit of his own personal political aims, but instead uh honor Lindsey Graham by finding those areas in which he was a point of unity or a point of common ground and get those things done.

SPEAKER_24 27:17

Aaron Powell Well, allow me just to follow up on that. Are you saying that Senator Graham and I don't expect you to tell me your private conversations, um, but even in South Carolina, he was first supportive of redistricting that might have um cut out uh Jim Claiber, but then uh sort of backed off of that. Are you saying that he wasn't a supporter of the Safe America Act?

SPEAKER_20 27:36

Um I I don't know about that specifically. I I know he knew the facts. If there's anybody that was a political realist, it was him. He knew that that that bill uh has no chance in hell of passing the United States Senate. Um and I will tell you that um I know his South Carolina politics hell. Uh when he had a race against uh one of my dear friends, Jamie Harrison, I have never worked so hard to unseat one of my colleagues as I did in supporting Jamie in that race. But I also know that a lot of the people he was running against, and he would tell me very frankly that they uh to use his language, uh, they were bat blank crazy. And uh if I was going to have a Republican out of South Carolina, I would rather have somebody that occasionally we could find common ground and get things done. So Lindsay was a pragmatist. Uh he often showed a crazy side to the world, but then he'd come back to a private conversation and try as hard as hell to make a deal with Democrats.

SPEAKER_24 28:32

This his sudden death, Senator Graham's sudden death, brings to mind the situation with Senator Mitch McConnell and his health and also his whereabouts, um, which are just frankly a big question mark right now. Do you know anything about where Mitch McConnell is and and do you think Mitch McConnell should step aside?

SPEAKER_20 28:48

I I know nothing about where Mitch McConnell is. Um this is unfortunately just a uh um an issue of politics in general. Uh people don't know when to gracefully step aside. I've seen people make that mistake on both sides of the aisle. I've been advised by people who left here, uh, as one senator once told me, uh, leave while you still have a third act, don't let them carry you off the floor. So I again uh uh my thoughts and prayers are really with uh Mitch McConnell. We'll talk about a guy that I've fought with. Um I just hope moments of like this uh don't obscure people uh to uh our ability to pray for one another, even if we dramatically disagree. But in terms of your practical question right now, there's a lot of people uh that I think uh need to know when to go. Um so we'll see what happens in this case.

SPEAKER_24 29:38

Uh last weekend around this time, you were talking about the midterm elections in Maine after the reporting about Graham Platner and the sexual assault allegations came out. Everybody continues to talk about that. Um now he has exited the race. There are so few openings to flip blue um or even in purple states this year. Do you what is your opinion about whether or not now a yet-to-be-named Democrat can still beat Susan Collins in Maine?

SPEAKER_20 30:03

Yeah, I think that race is infinitely winnable. Um I I trust the people of Maine, I trust the Democratic Party of Maine to put up a candidate that's capable of winning that election. I take nothing for granted. Uh, every single inch of ground we're gonna have to earn. Um I think that we have some great candidates around the country who are emerging uh from North Carolina to Texas to my old friend who's running in Ohio. I think there's a pathway back to us winning the sentence to the Senate, but I keep telling people nothing worthwhile in life is easy. You've got to earn it, and that means uh struggling, sweating, investing, fighting for it. And so I know there's a lot of good people up there in Maine uh who understand that elections aren't won by who the candidate is, but by who the teams they have around them.

SPEAKER_24 30:47

Uh Senator Corey Booker, Democrat from New Jersey, thank you for being here uh on this morning. I'm sorry for the loss of your friend, and we appreciate you joining us on the Sunday. Thank you. Thank you very much. Appreciate you.

SPEAKER_00 30:59

Mr. President, last week I joined several of my colleagues from the Senate and the House at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. It was an historic meeting in terms of the future of NATO and the future of Ukraine and so many other issues that relate to that critical and important alliance. Last Wednesday we had a dinner hosted by the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barak. Tom Barak, I'm sorry. There must have been fifty or sixty people there who all shared the concerns of the summit conference. Among them were members of Congress, Turkish leaders and representatives of other countries around the world who had come to that famous summit. At the heart of that dinner was my colleague and friend Senator Lindsay Graham. When I arrived that night, it was no surprise that he had been there before me and had been working the crowd, speaking to each and every person who was there, business leader, political leader from all parts of the world, about his concerns. Lindsay Lindsay was walking them through one at a time his vision on how we could end the war in Ukraine and the legislation we needed to accomplish that. Typical of Lindsey Graham. We all share that concern, but he was buzzing around that crowd like an aspiring candidate to convince everybody that there was a way to end this war the right way. Mr. President, only a few days after that dinner, my friend Lindsey Graham passed away. It was a shock. I would like to take a moment to recognize his lifetime of public service both in the state of South Carolina and our nation. I served with Lindsey Graham in the Senate for more than two decades. And during that time I counted him as a trusted friend. I will tell you, Mr. President, that my friends and supporters back in Illinois many times would just shake their head and say, Durbin, what are you doing with Lindsay? They didn't know how the Senate works, and they certainly didn't know him. Lindsay, for many years, was the only Republican willing to co-sponsor the DREAM Act, a bill that I introduced over twenty years ago and re reintroduced in successive Congresses. Providing protection to undocumented immigrants brought to this country as children. His support took guts. At a time when issues surrounding immigration were becoming pol politically toxic, Lindy Lindsay stuck his neck out for me and for these young people. I will never ever forget it. I'll also never forget a meeting that Lindsay and I had with President Trump in his first term in 2018. It was a meeting to discuss a possible comprehensive immigration reform package. It didn't go well at all. President Trump made what I consider to be profane comments about some immigrants, and I won't repeat them here. Lindsay, sitting next to me in the Oval Office, passionately, vocally and with real commitment disagreed with the President, arguing that America is not fine defined by race or color, but by its ideals and many contributions that immigrants have made to our nation. He said to the President as I sat right next to him in the Oval Office, You're just wrong. These people that are immigrants make a difference in America. It's a story of our country, and Lindsay said it was a story of his family. Lindsay spoke publicly about this interaction after it occurred. And despite the scorn that he earned from certain segments of the Republican base, he stuck to what he believed was right. When I happened to become the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee for four years, Lindsey Graham was my ranking Republican sitting right next to me every session of that committee. We had our share of disagreements on issues and nominees, but I knew that his word was always good. If he told me he was going to vote something for something or some person, he did. He delivered. And we had a good working relationship between us. No cheap shots, no stabs in the back. He voted in favor of 75 percent of the judicial nominations that we considered while I was chair. And there were 235 lifetime appointments that came out of that committee. Even though they were nominated by a president from a political party, he announced early on that if I expect Democrats to vote for Republican nominees, I have to support Democratic nominees to show the same spirit of cooperation. And he did. He kept his word. That was who Lindsay was. He was proud to be a fierce Republican partisan, but he never lost sight of the need to work across the aisle to make a difference in the lives of Americans. Loretta and I send our condolences to Lindsay's family and his legion of friends in South Carolina and around the world. He was an extraordinary member of the Senate. He helped to make it work. There was never any bipartisan meeting of a gang or what however you characterize it that Lindsay wasn't in the ranks. I remember when John McCain and he led the Republican side in an immigration reform exit uh effort. I was part of that on the Democratic side. After months, literally months of negotiating, we brought a package to the floor which passed with an overwhelming bipartisan vote to show that we can do things like that and we should still be able to. But for those things to occur, it's not just a matter of a good idea. You need good people who are willing to be respectful of one another and to work hard to find common ground. Lindsay was one of those people. As I noted, I tripped last week to Turkey as an effort to discuss some of the war and peace issues of our time. Lindsay knew the stakes at play in Ukraine and the importance of standing up to Russian tyranny. This topic was top of mind for all those who attended the NATO summit, which concluded in Turkey last week. I attended the summit with a partipartisan group of senators, including Senators Jean Shaheen, Mike Rounds, Chris Koons, and Congressman Mike Turner. Senator Graham joined us as part of the visit as well. With the war in Ukraine entering its fifth bloody year, the timing of this event was important as tides begin to turn in Ukrainian favor. Not only did Ukraine repel the initial invasion by one of the world's largest armies, it is increasingly showing progress in winning this conflict.

SPEAKER_22 38:35

First of all, I want to thank Congressman Wilson for organizing this tribute to a dear friend of all of us, not only in South Carolina, but all over every um every state in this country. Lindsay understood that success in South Carolina meant looking out for every South Carolinian. Whether it was a major defense project or a small town infrastructure need, he fought to bring federal resources back to South Carolina and make sure that every corner of our state had a voice in Washington, D.C. From securing the Medal of Honor for a Marine of Major James Capers, that after a five-year time frame to work to get Major Capers the Medal of Honor, we succeeded Lindsay was a part of that. Supporting our military installations, strengthening our border security, defending the rights of states, and advancing priorities that benefit South Carolina. We worked side by side on issues that mattered to those back home. He believed in delivering results, not just making speeches. He knew that the work of elected officials is measured by what they accomplished for the people they represent. And he consistently fought to ensure that South Carolina received its fair share of opportunities. We didn't have to agree on every issue. Lindsay never had an enemy that I knew of, and you could you could disagree with him while not being disagreeable. When there was an opportunity to move the state forward, Lindsay was willing to put the work in. This was evidenced to me when I went on a trip into Munich, Germany, back in 2020. And I think it was a four-day trip. And I watched him go to every meeting of every country that was there primarily to share ideas and to bring companies back to the United States, which benefited every state in the Union. He had a passion for that, particularly a passion for Ukraine and other countries that he had a belief in. His legacy will include far more than legislation. It will be remembered in the communities that benefited from his advocacy. The veterans he fought for, the historic sites he worked to preserve, and the love he continuously included and worked for for countless South Carolinians. Lives were improved. Families were so beneficial. All the efforts that they showed. He had a constituency staff second to none. If you called Lindsey Graham's office, he did what he could to help you out. Regardless of whether you were from South Carolina or not. He was a funny man. Like any good comedian, it's not what he said, it's how he said it. So Lindsey Graham made his life work for the betterment of South Carolina and the betterment of others. He will be sorely missed in this state and sorely missed by Darling, who he raised and adopted after both parents died. We thank him for a life well lived. And um and again, uh Joe, thank you for having this uh this moment to recognize a great man.

SPEAKER_25 42:24

One of the other leading candidates to for this Senate seat, if he decides to run, will be uh Congressman Russell Fry, who represents uh the Myrtle Beach area. And he spoke on the House floor concerning uh in tribute of Senator Lindsey Graham.

SPEAKER_17 42:40

Uh I join my colleagues here, uh both from South Carolina, but really around the country, uh, and indeed around the world, uh, in mourning the passing of our senior senator statesman, Lindsey Graham. Uh Lindsay was more than just a senator, he was a dedicated public servant, uh, a fierce advocate for South Carolina, and an even better uh person uh and a great friend. Uh his life, his legacy are the people and the lives that he touched, the energy that he brought to public service, the dedication to issues, the enjoyment of a good argument, even when you disagreed with him, uh, and uh the humor that he always had, really in almost every situation. Um, and it really was kind of a hallmark of who he was. You know, from central South Carolina, born to working class parents uh who died very early, you know, he was placed in an incredible predicament at 21 years of age to take care of his 13-year-old sister. And what an insane thing to think about in our country right now, that somebody would do that, uh, and that they would not just try to do it. Everyone, a lot of people would try to care for their siblings, but that they would be successful in that endeavor uh and really stop and take a moment and make sure that your number one mission was the success uh of your family uh and your young sister. Uh Lindsay's entire world uh was turned upside down when he lost his parents, but he did a remarkable job. And I think that really is shows who he is as a person. Um he's had a lot of titles, uh, Mr. Wilson. Uh in life, he was in the state legislature, um, he was a congressman. He was our senator for thirty years. You know, in South Carolina, we have senators for a long time. Uh um thirty years is a long time in this body. And what a mark it is that he left. Some people come up to Washington, D.C., and they hit yes, they hit no, they think that they've done something impactful. Uh, but Lindsey Graham was a mover and a shaker. He really understood how to maneuver, how to work with people to accomplish something. And I think it was said by Mr. Wilson earlier that even when you disagreed with him, he found something that you could work on together. I think that was a hallmark of who he was. You know, I first met Lindsay, uh first saw Lindsay, actually, uh, when I was 18 years old, and he was campaigning for the first time for the United States Senate. Uh it was after 9-11. Uh, he was in Congress at the time, but was campaigning. And uh our president then, George W. Bush, was campaigning with him in in uh Columbia, South Carolina. And I just remember at the as at such a young age, uh, just the moment, you know, after 9-11, how impacted the country was, the feeling of unity. Uh uh certainly the president captured that at the time. He captured that and really helped uh land him in the United States Senate. I uh fortunately, in turned for him, uh it was an interesting summer because you know Lindsay always liked to tackle tough issues. He didn't come up here uh to not be in the middle of the fray. I think President Teddy Roosevelt talks about the man in the arena, uh, that even if you fail, uh, that you do so striving valiantly. And uh in that particular summer, uh Mr. Wilson, that was the summer that he tried to tackle comprehensive immigration reform, which landed him in a lot of hot water uh from both sides of the political aisle. Uh and uh and I just remember that summer, of course I loved it. I'd never been to D.C., but I loved the experience of just uh fielding phone calls and seeing how how our government works. Um and that was who he was. Now, later, Mr. Wilson, when I got elected to Congress, um the senator uh jokingly asked if I wanted my desk back from when I was an intern and my old headset back, but the scars from that summer were still fresh, and uh I did not take him up on that offer. But um the the great thing about the senator that I would say, just as a as a person that uh grew up watching his career and then uh I say being part of Team South Carolina and fighting for this state was he really invested in people. Uh up here, he would uh work with Congressman Wilson's office, Congressman Cliber, and all the whole delegation, uh our new edition, fantastic edition, uh Ms. Biggs, he would work with you to try to find ways to advance uh issues that you were working on, things that mattered to South Carolina, whether it was an appropriation for a firehouse in Shiraw, South Carolina, whether it was a piece of legislation that he and I worked on, the Logan Federico Act, that is going that would be a phenomenally good change uh in the way that we uh track violent criminals in this state. He always had his finger on the pulse of what was going on, always thinking about how to make the lives of South Carolinians and the American people a little bit better. And everyone knows how impactful he was, not just in the Senate, but with the White House. I mean, he was uh the unofficial whisperer uh to President Trump how to navigate and have success in this body, in this town, making sure that you're delivering an agenda that the American people elected you to do. That takes real courage, that takes guts, uh, takes a lot of uh long days and evenings navigating that endless array of traps that you could fall into. But that was who he was. He didn't sit around and wait for things to happen. He was always in the middle trying to make sure that we were uh that we were delivering on the things uh that we said that we would. So it was always an honor, Mr. Wilson, to work with him. And and you, of course, in this whole delegation. Uh it matters greatly. His loss uh is going to be uh uh tough to deal with, just as a on a personal level, but also uh on the way that he helped deliver for South Carolina. But in 2 Timothy, the Apostle Paul writes, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which is the Lord. The righteous judge will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. My friend Lindsey Graham has fought the good fight, he has kept the faith, and although unexpectedly, I know he has reunited with his parents, he has received that crown, and in the midst of a beautiful reunion, he heard the words, Well done, my good and faithful servant. And with that I yield back.

SPEAKER_25 49:05

The senior Republican on the South Carolina delegation is Congressman Joe Wilson, uh, who uh made national dues during the Barack Obama administration, if if those of you who don't remember, um, but he is uh a man of towering stature in the state of South Carolina. His son or stepson is about to become the governor of South Carolina. He's he's running for governor right now as a Republican nominee, Alan Wilson. But uh Joe is one of those most beloved figures of the state of South Carolina. And if you've ever been in a room with him, you've probably got two or three of his cards because he he stands around and hands them out like to everybody. Um and anyway, he spoke on the floor. But I thought we would end uh looking back at a moment during the Biden administration uh after we hear Joe Wilson's remarks. When Senator Graham and and uh Joe Wilson were working together about our troops overseas, uh military affairs is something that is both of them strong point. Uh and uh and and they work together very, very well. Uh Joe Wilson, Congressman Joe Wilson and Senator Lindsey Graham.

SPEAKER_04 50:13

Thank you, madam speaker. South Carolinians are shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of Senator Lindsey Graham. Senator Graham enthusiastically served the people of the Palmetto State and America as a public servant and veteran. As a patriot, tireless for peace through strength, he successfully challenged totalitarians. President Donald Trump memorialized Graham as one of the greatest people in Senate's I've ever known. The New York Post analyzed all Americans of goodwill should be inspired to keep up his lifelong fights for freedom, decency, and justice. The Wall Street Journal editorialized the death of Lindsey Graham as a loss for the country and for the cause of global freedom. All three generations of the Wilson family extend deepest sympathy for the with our thoughts and prayers for the family led by his sister, Darlene Gordon Nardone of Lexington. In conclusion, God bless our troops. Trump is reinstituting peace through strength, revealing war criminal Putin lies, insulting Trump, mocking Trump, which inspired Senator Graham to successfully achieve legislative sanctioning of war criminal Putin. I yield back.

SPEAKER_07 51:22

President Biden officially today announced that it is time to end America's longest war, and he says he's doing so by fully withdrawing troops from Afghanistan by September the 11th, which happens to be the 20th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks. With me now to uh talk about this, I think we have Senator Lindsey Graham uh joining us by phone. Senator, welcome back to the program. Uh thank you very much. Uh so your response to the President's announcement this morning.

SPEAKER_10 51:56

Uh a disaster in the making. Uh uh President Biden is not gonna end the war with radical Islam, okay? Radical Islam is not going to surrender. The people of Afghanistan have been fighting al-Qaeda ISIS and the Taliban for decades with our help. They don't want to live in soccer stadiums where women get uh murdered. They don't want to live like the Taliban and Al-Qaeda would like them to live. So what President Biden doesn't understand is that the enemy is radical Islam. Um they killed 3,000 Americans 20 years ago this September only because, Tony, they couldn't think of a way to kill more of us. So we're gonna leave Afghanistan against sound military advice. This is the same Joe Biden who advocated leaving Iraq that led to the rise of ISIS that went to Syria to destroy the Zaidi population, a form of um Muslim thinking, uh that put the Kurds at tremendous risk.

SPEAKER_07 52:59

Oh, we just lost him. I think we uh I think we lost the Senator. We'll see if we can get him back on. Um several responses to this uh today. Uh the uh Republican majority leader, uh minority leader in the Senate, the Republican leader, uh questioning this as well on the uh the the Senate floor. I'm gonna go to his comments. Uh this is Mitch McConnell, uh clip number three.

SPEAKER_19 53:28

Biden takes the easy way out of Afghanistan, the likely result is disaster. This is the morning's lead editorial from one of the nation's most liberal newspapers. The administration has decided to abandon U.S. efforts in Afghanistan, which have helped keep radical Islamic terrorism in check. And bizarrely, they've decided to do so on September the 11th. Apparently, we're to help our adversaries ring in the anniversary of the non-11 attacks by gift-wrapping the country and handing it right back to them.

SPEAKER_07 54:10

You know, it's interesting. Um the my majority leader. I mean, it's 50-50, so it's kind of hard to tell who's majority and who's minority, but uh Chuck Schumer, Democratic leader, uh, in the Senate on CNN this morning talking about this, and CNN questioning the timing of this. Uh clip uh five, please.

SPEAKER_18 54:38

You were critical last year of President Trump's decision to reduce the troop levels in Afghanistan because you said it was an incoherent policy. How do you feel now about President Biden's decision?

SPEAKER_12 54:51

I think President Biden has come up with a careful, careful and thought-out plan. Look, John, um the president doesn't want endless wars. I don't want endless wars, and neither do the American people. And it's uh refreshing to have a thought-out plan with a set timetable instead of the president waking up one morning, getting out of bed, saying what just pops into his head, and then having the generals having walked it back.

SPEAKER_07 55:16

Well, joining us now with more on this from the House side, uh, Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina. He's a member of the House Armed Services Committee. Congressman, welcome to the program.

SPEAKER_05 55:26

Uh Tony, I'm appreciate being with you and also appreciate the Family Research Council. And hey, my interest uh in Afghanistan is very personal. Uh, my former National Guard unit, the 218th Brigade, served there for a year. I know what great work they did for the people of Afghanistan. My youngest son was an engineer who served in the Army National Guard there in Afghanistan. Uh, it it's absolutely critical. The president should have completed his statement today. Bring the troops home and then bring the war home. Because we either have the opportunity to defeat the terrorists overseas or they will come back. And there could be no clearer example. Uh, because out of Afghanistan, a cave, Osama bin Laden attacked the World Trade Center, attacked Pennsylvania, tried to attack um uh we know uh the Pentagon. Uh and so uh this is an invitation to bring the war back to America, and we have such a wonderful opportunity to, with minimal troop forces, we have 2,500 troops there. Uh, we have 7,000 of our NATO allies there. Uh we have an opportunity to to keep the war uh in Afghanistan and not bring it home to America.

SPEAKER_07 56:30

It's a really, really good good point, uh Congress, because we have a small contingency there, but it keeps them in check and keeps them there as opposed to here.

SPEAKER_05 56:41

There's really no question either. Hey, these people are committed to destruction of Western civilization, uh, destruction of Christianity uh and Judaism. And so uh and so they're uh they're not going to give up. Uh and and uh what we're turning the country over to is the Taliban. Remember them, uh the destruction of the prior civilizations of Afghanistan, their alliance with ISIS, their alliance with Al-Qaeda. Uh they have every intent to bring the war back to America.

SPEAKER_07 57:10

What about the timing of this September the 11th, the 20th 20th anniversary? Well, I mean, what is that about? Even CNN reporters are questioning that.

SPEAKER_05 57:19

Well, uh that that's insanity. Uh and because and but it hey, it is correct. Uh, because 9-11 was the attack on the American people. 3,000 people died across our country, um, murder across our country. Uh 9-11 may be very appropriate because now you're bringing them back.

SPEAKER_07 57:37

Well, continuing on this uh focus on the foreign policy of this administration, one of the other areas that is uh teeing up to be a very, very dangerous situation is that with Iran.

SPEAKER_05 57:52

And and Tony, that's uh another example of insanity. Uh the Iranian mullahs, these mass murderers, that's what they are, have uh continue to develop uh uh intercontinental ballistic missiles. Uh they've never stopped doing that. Well, there's only one reason that you would build an ICBM, and that's to be able to deliver a nuclear warhead against the American people. And and to, hey, a delay of 10 years in their program, which they didn't do, um, and uh in the uh eyes of people of ancient Persia who are the successors here of 4,000 years, 10 years is nothing. And so, and hey, this should be bipartisan. Uh, in fact, Senator Joel Lieberman has been one of the greatest critics of the reinstitution of the Iran deal, to give hundreds of billions of dollars to people to uh plan to kill the American people. Uh, and then of course the former chairman of the uh House Armed Service uh of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Elliot Engel, what a superstar he is out of New York. He identified that it was wrong and that the Iran deal was wrong. It's President Trump, it was courageous on his part to begin the sanctions against this um evil regime, which in Tehran, which uh actually oppresses the people of Iran. The people of Iran do not want to live uh in a totalitarian, authoritarian state. Uh, I'm so hopeful for the young people of Iran that one day they get to live in freedom, and we need to be encouraging that, not encouraging the Malays to further persecute and torment the people of Iran.

SPEAKER_07 59:20

Uh Congressman, how do you interpret the announcement by Iran that they have reached 60 percent uranium enrichment? I mean, it's not even like they're fearful that uh United States might do something. They're just boasting openly of this achievement.

SPEAKER_05 59:36

And and and Tony, they're bragging. Okay, they're bragging that they have every intent to proceed to develop a nuclear weapon and to proceed uh against the American people. Uh and of course, in the meantime, and let's be real, these are the people who say death to Israel, death to America. That's what they mean. Uh it doesn't it's in English, okay? So we don't have to interpret it. And and that's what they mean. And and so uh it it's um it's just biz i it's really sad for the American people to be put at risk this way, which it should not be.

SPEAKER_07 1:00:05

You mentioned, Congressman Wilson, uh Israel, uh one of our closest allies, especially in that region of the world. This puts them in great danger.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:15

Hey, they're in direct danger. They already uh the uh the missile capabilities of Iran already they can strike Israel, they can strike uh southeastern Europe, uh, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, they can attack India. Uh and so uh but their real goal is hey, is what they call the great Satan, and that's the United States. And so they can't wait to develop an ICBN capability to uh commit mass murder, uh unimaginable, against the people of uh the United States. And hey, we've got every opportunity with sanctions to uh provide and work for regime change in Tehran.

SPEAKER_07 1:00:51

You know, the Biden administration will actually uh candidate Biden criticized the Trump administration, saying that uh diplomacy was the answer here with Iran. And uh thus far, as far as I'm aware, uh Iran, Iranian officials have refused to meet with the Biden administration.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:07

Isn't that amazing? I can't imagine why they didn't meet because, hey, we know, uh, talk about appeasement. Uh well, this would be a record appeasement uh capitulation. Uh and uh and so uh I I don't know why they're not understanding this. And then sadly, another thing, I work very closely with European Union. I'm very disappointed. Uh a reason they want the uh Iran deal renegotiated or reinstated is because we give tens and tens of billions of dollars to Iran and then they spend it in the European Union. So they've got a conflict of interest. We don't have a conflict of interest. President uh Biden, President Harris should be protecting the American people.

SPEAKER_07 1:01:46

Congressman Joe Wilson, always uh good to talk with you. Thanks so much for uh for standing firm on the wall here in Washington, D.C.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:53

You're here, and thank you, Family Resource Council, what you do for the American people. Thank you, Tony. Best wishes on continued success.

SPEAKER_07 1:02:00

All right, thank you, Joe.