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Floor Speech

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Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, it is a sad day for all of us in the Senate and particularly those that are very, very close to Lindsey Graham, and that would be most Senators and, obviously, his staff. So I would like to take a moment to honor the life of our fellow Senator Lindsey Graham.

We were shocked by the sad news yesterday of his untimely death. Senator Graham was a devoted public servant, through his military service as a colonel in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard, as well as being elected to office continually since 1992.

Senator Graham was a very forceful and quick-witted presence in every room that he entered. His warm nature made everyone his friend, and I feel blessed to be one of them.

A few feet from right here is the Senate cloakroom. Frequently, Senator Graham would hold court there, and in holding court, he was making every Senator laugh, no matter what the challenge we were dealing with on that particular day.

He was infectious in the way he told a story, and, of course, there was always a punch line.

I was no stranger to being the butt of his jokes. Senator Graham loved to tell people how frugal I was and that if I were ever to open my billfold, dust and moss would come out of it. I don't know how many times I have heard that.

Senator Graham always brought a smile to your face and levity to the Halls of Congress.

Senator Graham was no stranger to my home State of Iowa, as it is first in the Nation for Presidential elections. And in the year 2016, when he announced he was going to run for President, I had the privilege of showing him around a time or two during his campaign for President. He was a fan of the good people of my State of Iowa, identifying with our shared values of hard work, of faith, and genuine care for one another.

I also worked closely with Senator Graham on the Senate Budget and Judiciary Committees, and we worked together for decades. He was a coveted ally on legislation, and, as chairman of those Committees, he was always fair, and he was always productive. From Supreme Court confirmations to criminal justice reform and border security, having Senator Graham in your corner was a great asset.

He will be remembered for his many accomplishments as a national figure for the Republican Party.

Senator Graham deeply loved his country. He was a bold leader, an impassioned national security hawk. He spoke his mind, as we all know, and we all know that he had the capability and the desire to work across the aisle. He was at the center of some of the most famous deal- making groups in the past 30 years.

He loved the Senate as an institution, and his hard-working staff was like family to him.

Most importantly, he dutifully served the people of South Carolina, and his roots ran strong through him every day of his life.

Barbara and I are praying for Senator Graham's family as we all grapple with the loss of a great man.

And I think we should show our appreciation for the hard work, as just 2 days before he passed, he was in Ukraine, meeting with Zelenskyy, and he was announcing that he was going to move forward with some very important legislation putting additional sanctions on Russia because of their invasion of Ukraine. And I think we can show our gratitude and appreciation of Senator Graham by moving that legislation forward.

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