ICYMI— Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today spoke on the Senate Floor to honor Senator Lindsey Graham’s legacy.
Senator Cotton’s full floor speech may be found here and below.
Lindsey Graham was a self-made American original. Born in central South Carolina, Lindsey grew up in a room behind his parent’s bar and pool hall where he worked to help the family make ends meet and earned the nickname “Stinkball” from his patrons because of his sense of humor and his irrepressible nature and his rascal streak as he called it.
I saw that in my first experience with Lindsey Graham. I traveled with him and Senator McCain to the Munich Security Conference in 2013 as a brand-new congressman. That evening as I was meeting some of the other Senators on the delegation, Senator Ayotte, Senator Corker, Lindsey came up to me and slapped me on the back and asked me who the hell I was, and I introduced myself and I told him a little bit about my story and my service in the Army before I was elected to the House and he told me I was great, I needed to run for Senate; we had to win the Senate seat in Arkansas. The next morning, we had a 08 briefing with General Breedlove, then the commander of our forces in Europe, and Lindsey stumbled in about 8:55. Senator McCain held the arrival of his illegitimate son, and then we had a coffee break five minutes later when Lindsey came over, slapped me on the back and said “You are great. We got to have you run for Senate, now, what was your name again?” That was Lindsey. Self-described rascal that he was.
As often joked about him, and with him, you never knew quite what Lindsey was up to, but it probably wasn’t nothing. He became the first member of his family to attend college. After suddenly and unexpectedly losing both parents while attending University of South Carolina, he stepped in the raise his beloved younger sister Darline. But even in the face of tragedy, Lindsey’s grit, determination, and faith enabled him to finish college, earn a law degree, serve in the Air Force, and eventually make his way here to the United States Congress.
When Lindsey arrived in the House in 1995 as the first Republican congressman from South Carolina’s Third Congressional District since 1877, he brought with him a sense of duty and responsibility, a love for liberty, and a resolute commitment to America’s national security. He carried this with him to the Senate where he served for more than two decades and became the first person in South Carolina history to earn more than one million votes in a general election. Needless to say, South Carolinians loved him and it’s not hard to see why.
Throughout my time working with Lindsey in the Senate, he fought for South Carolinians, he defended America's founding principles, and he supported the men and women of our military. While he served as chairman of the Judiciary Committee, he oversaw the confirmation of a Supreme Court Justice and more than 200 federal judges committed to upholding the rule of law as our founders intended. Further, Lindsey knew that strength produces peace and prosperity, and he believed that the United States is the greatest force for freedom that mankind has ever known. Through every bill he introduced, every speech he gave, every statement he made, Lindsey ensured our allies knew our word was good and our enemies feared our resolve.
If you loved America, Lindsey loved you. And if you fought for freedom, Lindsey would fight for you. Only in America could a man like Lindsey Graham leave such a mark on our history and our future. That above all is a testament to his strength of character. Lindsey's unwavering love for our Lord, devotion to our country, and commitment to his family defined his entire life. He was an example of what makes America exceptional.
Though we lost a dedicated public servant, a workhorse of a colleague, and an irreplaceable friend, his memory and his legacy will never be forgotten. I extend my deepest prayers, thoughts, and condolences to Darline, Lindsey's family, Lindsey’s staff, his friends, his loved ones. America and this Senate will forever be grateful to Senator Lindsey Graham for his lifetime of service, patriotism, and courageous leadership.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
