On the evening of Saturday, July 11th, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) passed away suddenly from a tear in his aorta. His sudden death sent shockwaves across the nation. Eagle Forum knew him during his tenure in Congress and is grateful for his support of many pro-family issues on which we aligned. We pray for comfort for his family, friends, and staff during this difficult time.
Sen. Graham met adversity early in life. As a 22-year-old, he lost both parents 15 months apart and valiantly stepped in to raise his 13-year-old sister, Darline, who has now been appointed to serve the remaining six months of his Senate term. After graduating from the University of South Carolina School of Law, he was commissioned as an officer in the Judge Advocate General Corps (JAG) in the United States Air Force. He subsequently served in the South Carolina Air National Guard and U.S. Air Force Reserve. In 2014, Sen. Graham received a Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service advising the Air Force in Iraq and Afghanistan, and retired a year later as a colonel.
His military career overlapped with his political career. After serving one term in the South Carolina House of Representatives, he successfully ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994 to replace a 20-year-retiring Democratic Congressman. Newt Gingrich’s Contract with America was Graham’s blueprint to victory. Eight years later, he ran for U.S. Senate and became the first new South Carolina Senator since 1966.
Eagle Forum worked alongside Sen. Graham on many issues throughout his years in Congress. As a proponent of states’ rights, he was one of the leaders in the effort to end the Clinton-era School-to-Work program. This program attempted to shift the K-12 focus from academics to a cradle-to-grave planned economy model that sought to steer students into government-approved careers. In addition, it would have created a massive federal database to track students throughout their lives. Once Republicans gained the majority in the House in 1994, he worked to wind down the program, introduced a bill requiring parental consent for data tracking, and championed more efforts to return education back to the states.
He was unapologetically pro-life. From federal abortion bans to defunding Planned Parenthood, advocating for pregnant students, and diverting funds to pregnancy resource centers, he was a reliable pro-life vote. After the Dobbs v. Women’s Health Organization ruling overturned Roe v. Wade, he celebrated the decision, calling it a “constitutional correction” because he believed that Roe was “one of the largest power grabs in the history of the Supreme Court.” His sincere beliefs on life were displayed multiple times at the March for Life, where he encouraged marchers to fight for the unborn.
In 2023, the Senate Judiciary Committee, then chaired by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), held a hearing in favor of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). As soon as the hearing began, he was delighted to share the breaking news of the D.C. Court of Appeals upholding the expiration of the ERA. He went on to say that the amendment would enshrine abortion-on-demand into the constitution and push men into women’s spaces and sports, reiterating his disagreement with these radical positions.
Graham was fiercely dedicated to his role in the Senate Judiciary Committee. After becoming Chair of the committee, he moved forward hundreds of judicial nominees, including three Supreme Court Justices (Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett). One of his most notable moments came from his response to the left’s attacks on Justice Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Democrats echoed unfounded sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh and gave a spotlight to the accuser at a public hearing. Graham uncovered the coordinated effort by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and other Democrats, in which he intensely reprimanded them. He passionately said:
When you see Sotomayer and Kagan, tell them that Lindsey said “hello” because I voted for them. I would never do to them what you’ve done to this guy. This is the most unethical sham since I’ve been in politics… Boy, you all want power. I hope you never get it.
Known as a happy warrior with a consistent friendly disposition, he made allies easily, whether across the aisle or in the media. Even Israeli media have reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will attend Sen. Graham’s funeral. Fox News Host Sean Hannity paid a beautiful tribute to him by saying:
He loved his job more than any elected official I’ve ever known and serving the people of SC, for him, was a 24/7 focus. He was always on a mission to accomplish big things for the country and world. He will be greatly missed. I pray his dream of a lasting peace is realized sooner than later. There was simply nobody in elected office that loved his job and worked harder.
While there were several policy positions with which we disagreed with Sen. Graham, his life story and accomplishments remind us that the American Dream is alive and well. He did not let his hardships define him, but rather they propelled him to a life of service to make a difference in our nation. His dedication to American freedoms, especially the right to life, will not be forgotten. Please pray with us that his family will find peace and joy in his memory. Also, that his sister, Darline Graham Nordone, who has been appointed to his seat, will be comforted and supported during this time.
Currently, the House Budget Committee has released the text of the resolution leading to the third reconciliation bill. Eagle Forum and other pro-life organizations have repeatedly requested that the one-year prohibition of federal Medicaid payments to big abortion giants like Planned Parenthood be extended past its expiration on July 4th of this year. That language never made it into the bill, unfortunately. There is still time for Congress to correct this. Please reach out to your member of Congress to urge them to include this policy. You can find our alert here.