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House of Representatives

In Memory of Senator Lindsey Graham

2026-07-13 Issue 113 Showing 1–2 of 2

A debate to memorialize the late Senator Lindsey Graham. Members shared personal memories and expressed appreciation for Graham's service and bipartisanship.

Official Congressional Record ↗

James E. Clyburn

Democrat

“I want to praise Lindsey Graham. I worked with him to spend taxpayer money on parks and heritage corridors. It helped South Carolina.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I, like many others, were shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Senator Lindsey Graham, who served in this body from 1995 to 2003, when he left to begin serving in the Senate. I wrote in the introduction to my memoir that I am a child of blessed experiences, generally southern, proudly Black. All of my experiences have not been pleasant, but I have considered all of them to be blessings, and so it was with Lindsey Graham. My relationships with Lindsey were sometimes partisan and passionate, mostly productive on behalf of the people of South Carolina. For more than three decades, we served the people of the Palmetto State together here in Congress. Throughout that time, we maintained a relationship grounded in mutual respect, even when our political differences were significant. His commitment to public service and the people he represented will remain an enduring part of his legacy. I shall never forget playing a round of golf with Lindsey Graham in one of South Carolina's many beautiful golf courses, and I raised an issue with him that I thought was very significant. I said to him that South Carolina, which I considered to be one of, if not the most, historic States in our Nation, was without a heritage corridor, and I thought that one was in order for the State. Lindsey said he agreed with me, but I said to him: Lindsey, this bill that I have introduced to create the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor will never become law with my name on it. Things had gotten a bit too partisan back in 1994, 1995, and 1996. I asked him to put his name on it. He said to me: I don't want to take your legislation. I said to him: You are not taking it. I am giving it to you. Then he said: I don't know if I understand what it is all about. I said to him: When the bill is called, invite me to speak on it, and he did. South Carolina got that heritage corridor. It has now got two more since, and in every one of those heritage corridors, I worked with Lindsey Graham to make it happen. South Carolina now has three national parks. We had only one national monument, but now we have three national parks. The monument I worked with his predecessor to get, but with the last two national parks, I worked with Lindsey Graham to do it quietly. We didn't have press conferences. We just sat down with each other or we got in the golf cart together to make it happen. That is the way it was with Lindsey Graham, someone who was passionate but productive and sometimes pleasant--sometimes. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson).

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Joe Wilson

Republican

“I want to praise Lindsey Graham. He served South Carolina in many ways. He met with leaders in Turkey and Ukraine recently. He supported Israel. He wanted sanctions on Putin. He visited a drone factory. Our governor chose Graham's sister to replace him now. Let's remember Graham.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I thank very much Congressman Clyburn for yielding. Indeed, it is bipartisan this evening with our delegation, and South Carolina so appreciates the remarkable service and successes of Senator Lindsey Graham. It is so personal to me that I got to meet him in his public service. As staff judge advocate to the army air guard, he was staff judge advocate to the air guard. I thank him for his public service and service in the military. He served in the State House of South Carolina, the U.S. House of Representatives, and obviously in the U.S. Senate, but he was dedicated to the people of South Carolina. It is really incredible that during the last week of his service, he was present with President Trump for the NATO meetings with Ankara. While he was there, he met with President Ahmad al-Sharaa of Syria and proclaimed that we need to give Syria a chance. He understood how important it is to have a stable and secure Syria as himself being a proponent of a stable and sovereign Israel. He has always stood with Israel. Then, on Friday, of all things, he had the opportunity to be in Kyiv, Ukraine, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy where he, again, was so forceful in pointing out that indeed the sanctions bill, as has been agreed to by President Donald Trump, puts sanctions on war criminal Putin. While he was there, he also toured a drone manufacturing facility. He returned back to the United States on Saturday, and he actually had a very positive conversation with President Donald Trump. Then, almost immediately after that call, he sadly had a chronic acute heart attack and passed away. In the meantime, today is a very significant day in that our Governor Henry McMaster I think has made an incredible choice and that is to appoint the sister of Senator Lindsey Graham, Darline, to be the new U.S. Senator from South Carolina. As we are remembering Senator Graham, we can just cherish so many memories that all of us had. Mr. Speaker, I now move for a moment of silence.

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