Lindsey Graham

Recent Office Headlines

SRS Receives Increased Funding in Senate Defense Bill WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today said he was very pleased Savannah River Site is in line to receive increased funding under the 2008 Defense Authorization bill. Graham is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The bill passed committee unanimously and will now be sent to the full Senate.”…[continue]

Support Grows for Graham-Burr-MCCain GI Bill … » Graham Supports Promotions of General Petraeus and General Odierno … » Graham-Burr-McCain Unveil Legislation to Assist Service Members … »

Sen. Graham has spent most of his life in service to his community and country. First, as the city attorney for Central, SC and the assistant attorney for Oconee County. Second, as a representative for Oconee County’s second district in the South Carolina House of Representatives. Third, as a Representative for South Carolina’s third congressional district. He is currently South Carolina’s senior senator.

Sen. Graham has also served the country in the military as a lawyer for 23 years. He spent 6 years, including a tour of duty in Europe, in the active duty Air Force.During the Gulf War he was called in to service at McEntire Air National Guard Base and a member of the South Carolina Air National Guard. Currently, he is the only U.S. senator who is a member of the Air Force Reserve. He has attained the rank of Colonel and has added our fight in the War on Terror by serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Vital Statistics

Political Experience:
South Carolina House of Representatives, 1992-1994
U.S. House of Representatives, 1995-2002
U.S. Senate, 2003-present

Personal

Sen. Graham is a native of South Carolina who was born on July 9, 1955 grew up in Central and graduated from D.W. Daniel High School. He earned his B.A. in Psychology and J.D. from the University of South Carolina. He also maintained a private law practice in Oconee County until elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He lives in Seneca and is a member of Corinth Baptist Church.

Political Service

Graham elected to the United States Senate on November 5, 2002. He serves on four committees in the U.S. Senate: Armed Services, Budget, Judiciary, and Veteran’s Affairs. During the 108th Congress he served on the Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions Committee. He also served as the Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s Presidential Round table from 2003-2005.

He recently helped fashion an agreement that allowed for votes on President Bush’s judicial nominees and prevented a permanent change in the operation of the Senate. He is currently attempting to work out a system to try terrorist suspects according to the military courts-martial procedures.

Graham was elected to four terms, beginning in 1994, as the Congressman from South Carolina’s Third District which includes the state’s largest employer-the Savannah River Site. The district includes ten counties and runs along the western border of the state encompassing national forests and parks. He was the first Republican to represent the district since 1877. While representing the district he was a member of the Education and the Workforce, Judiciary, and Armed Services committees.

During his time in Washington Graham has become known as a leader who never abandoned his independence or strayed from the conservative reform agenda. He has fought to balance the federal budget, provide tax relief for all taxpayers, ensure our military is adequately funded and prepared, and ensure the government keeps its promise to America’s greatest generation.

Prior to his time in Washington Graham served in the South Carolina State House representing the second district of Oconee County. Lindsey also held positions as the city attorney for the City of Central and the assistant county attorney for Oconee County.

Military

Graham served six years active duty in the United States Air Force Rhein Mein Air Force Base in Germany. He then served for five years in the South Carolina Air National Guard. He is a Persian Gulf War-era veteran, who was call in to service state-side at McEntire Air National Guard Station as Staff Judge Advocate. In this capacity he prepared members for deployment to the Gulf region. His duties included briefing pilots on the law of armed conflict, preparing legal documents for deploying troops, and providing legal services for for family members of the South Carolina Air National Guard. He received a commendation medal for his service at McEntire Air National Guard Station.

Graham serves in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and is the only U.S. Senator currently serving in the Guard or Reserves. He is a colonel and was recently assigned as a reserve judge on the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals. Recently he served in Afghanistan where he was responsible for training Afghan lawyers and judges. He recently served in Iraq in the office of the Judge Advocate for the Multi-National Force-Iraq.

Sources

• Archive: Lindsey Graham Biography (House Website)
• About Lindsey (Lindsey Graham for Senate, 2008)
• Archive: About Lindsey (Lindsey Graham for Senate, 2002)
• Biography (Senate Website)
• Senator Lindsey Graham (U.S. Senate)
• Graham, Lindsey O. (Congressional Biographical Guide)