Discussion · House of Representatives
Joe Wilson Republican
“I am honoring Senator Lindsey Graham, who just died. He spent his life serving South Carolina and our country in the military and in Congress. He always worked to keep America strong.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Norman for his heartfelt comments. Indeed, I agree with and appreciated talk radio show host Kelly Nash, WVOC, who correctly began statewide broadcasting Monday that South Carolinians are heartbroken upon learning of the passing of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham on Saturday. I will always be grateful for my decades-long association with Senator Graham, as we served together. He was the South Carolina Air Guard Staff Judge Advocate, and I was the South Carolina Army Staff Judge Advocate serving together. Courageously, after one of our drill days, he announced to me his candidacy for the State House from Oconee County, South Carolina. I immediately congratulated him, but then I caught myself, and I remembered that, in fact, nobody from our party had ever been elected from Oconee County to the State House. Indeed he made history and became the first Republican elected from Oconee to the State House of South Carolina. Sunday morning, when I spoke with President Donald Trump, I knew he shared the grief of all South Carolinians. It was just heartfelt to hear him as we reviewed the service of Senator Graham, understanding that he truly was a champion for peace through strength, dedicated to public service, his military career, his service as a veteran, and his service in the State House, U.S. Senate, and in every way backing up the people of South Carolina. Senator Graham’s last week of life was symbolic of his dedication for America. He attended the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkiye. While he was there, he met with President Ahmed al-Sharaa of Syria. It was really very significant because he had been skeptical, as many people, about the new Government of Syria. He, upon meeting with President al-Sharaa, identified that President Donald Trump was correct, give Syria a chance, and so it was exciting that he announced that he looked forward to actual progress with the new Government of Syria to be working with the United States. Additionally, he next went to Kyiv, Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. While he was there, it was so impressive that he had the opportunity to also visit a drone manufacturing facility to see the extraordinary success of the people of Ukraine, who are going to be victorious over war criminal Putin. With the development of drone technology, indeed, the people of Ukraine are an inspiration. While he was there, he was able to announce that in working with President Donald Trump that there would be sanctions on war criminal Putin and on Russia. Indeed, it is so meaningful that indeed as soon as we got back to Washington, the U.S. Senate--I thank Senator John Cornyn and others--have made it possible that there will be a Russian Sanctions Act which, indeed, will be in the name of Lindsey Graham as the Lindsey Graham Russian Sanctions Act. It will be so impressive to help back up the people of Ukraine. Additionally, when Senator Graham arrived back in Washington on Saturday, how incredible that he had the strength and fortitude to have a very long conversation with President Donald Trump to review the activities of the week and the successes that he saw of the Trump administration to provide peace through strength, but suddenly there was sudden death right after the phone call. With that, myself personally, when I learned of the passing of the Senator, I was at Souda Bay in Greece visiting Navy personnel of the U.S. Navy to, indeed, thank them for their service. As soon as I heard about the passing, within an hour, I sent a tweet: ``With the passing of Senator Lindsey Graham, he will always be cherished as an American patriot, tireless for peace through strength, successful defeating totalitarians. All three generations of the Wilson family extend deepest sympathy and appreciation of his dedicated service.’’ The three generations of the Wilson family begin with my wife, Roxanne, and myself. I am really grateful our son, Attorney General Alan Wilson, who we have really been so appreciative, was to be on the Lindsey Graham Republican ticket as the nominee for Governor of South Carolina in November. The Wilson family is so happy to work with persons and now with Darline Graham, what a wonderful person. Then our third generation actually, Houston Wilson of SMU served as a Graham U.S. Senate floor page. Over and over again, our family appreciates personally and the people of South Carolina are so grateful for the service of Senator Lindsey Graham. I am very happy that we have been joined by Congressman Russell Fry of Surfside Beach, and I now yield to him.”
Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Norman for his heartfelt comments. Indeed, I agree with and appreciated talk radio show host Kelly Nash, WVOC, who correctly began statewide broadcasting Monday that South Carolinians are heartbroken upon learning of the passing of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham on Saturday. I will always be grateful for my decades-long association with Senator Graham, as we served together. He was the South Carolina Air Guard Staff Judge Advocate, and I was the South Carolina Army Staff Judge Advocate serving together. Courageously, after one of our drill days, he announced to me his candidacy for the State House from Oconee County, South Carolina. I immediately congratulated him, but then I caught myself, and I remembered that, in fact, nobody from our party had ever been elected from Oconee County to the State House. Indeed he made history and became the first Republican elected from Oconee to the State House of South Carolina. Sunday morning, when I spoke with President Donald Trump, I knew he shared the grief of all South Carolinians. It was just heartfelt to hear him as we reviewed the service of Senator Graham, understanding that he truly was a champion for peace through strength, dedicated to public service, his military career, his service as a veteran, and his service in the State House, U.S. Senate, and in every way backing up the people of South Carolina. Senator Graham’s last week of life was symbolic of his dedication for America. He attended the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkiye. While he was there, he met with President Ahmed al-Sharaa of Syria. It was really very significant because he had been skeptical, as many people, about the new Government of Syria. He, upon meeting with President al-Sharaa, identified that President Donald Trump was correct, give Syria a chance, and so it was exciting that he announced that he looked forward to actual progress with the new Government of Syria to be working with the United States. Additionally, he next went to Kyiv, Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. While he was there, it was so impressive that he had the opportunity to also visit a drone manufacturing facility to see the extraordinary success of the people of Ukraine, who are going to be victorious over war criminal Putin. With the development of drone technology, indeed, the people of Ukraine are an inspiration. While he was there, he was able to announce that in working with President Donald Trump that there would be sanctions on war criminal Putin and on Russia. Indeed, it is so meaningful that indeed as soon as we got back to Washington, the U.S. Senate--I thank Senator John Cornyn and others--have made it possible that there will be a Russian Sanctions Act which, indeed, will be in the name of Lindsey Graham as the Lindsey Graham Russian Sanctions Act. It will be so impressive to help back up the people of Ukraine. Additionally, when Senator Graham arrived back in Washington on Saturday, how incredible that he had the strength and fortitude to have a very long conversation with President Donald Trump to review the activities of the week and the successes that he saw of the Trump administration to provide peace through strength, but suddenly there was sudden death right after the phone call. With that, myself personally, when I learned of the passing of the Senator, I was at Souda Bay in Greece visiting Navy personnel of the U.S. Navy to, indeed, thank them for their service. As soon as I heard about the passing, within an hour, I sent a tweet: ``With the passing of Senator Lindsey Graham, he will always be cherished as an American patriot, tireless for peace through strength, successful defeating totalitarians. All three generations of the Wilson family extend deepest sympathy and appreciation of his dedicated service.’’ The three generations of the Wilson family begin with my wife, Roxanne, and myself. I am really grateful our son, Attorney General Alan Wilson, who we have really been so appreciative, was to be on the Lindsey Graham Republican ticket as the nominee for Governor of South Carolina in November. The Wilson family is so happy to work with persons and now with Darline Graham, what a wonderful person. Then our third generation actually, Houston Wilson of SMU served as a Graham U.S. Senate floor page. Over and over again, our family appreciates personally and the people of South Carolina are so grateful for the service of Senator Lindsey Graham. I am very happy that we have been joined by Congressman Russell Fry of Surfside Beach, and I now yield to him.