Reed Statement on the Death of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement on the sudden passing of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC): “I send my condolences to the people of South Carolina and the extended Graham family on the sudden loss of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham. Lindsey and I did not see eye to eye on many issues, but he was a consequential voice and gifted communicator. “Theodore Roosevelt’s famous ‘Man in the Arena’ concept certainly applies to Senator Graham, who relished the dust, sweat, and challenges of public life. “Lindsey could be polarizing, but he was willing to work across the aisle, sometimes at political risk, to advance policies he believed in, like the defense of Ukraine, or supporting highly-qualified judicial nominees from the other party. “One day, we’d be fiercely debating the Iraq war and the next day he’d be the lone Republican on the floor sticking up for a judicial nominee from Rhode Island. And in both instances, he’d bring his same keen intellect, high-level energy, and effectiveness to bear. “Because he was so often a surrogate on TV, people tend to have strong opinions about Lindsey Graham. But not everyone knows he was the first in his family to graduate from college or that he served in the Air Force Reserves while caring for his little sister as her guardian. It is fair to point out his political views seem to have evolved over time, but his commitment to South Carolina never wavered.”