MEMBER OF CONGRESS

James E. Clyburn

Democrat SC 1 statement translated

House of Representatives

In Memory of Senator Lindsey Graham

2026-07-13

“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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