SC’s Graham visits Rock Hill days after he was censured by local Republican Party
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham was censured by the York County Republican Party on Aug. 26 after he voted earlier this month to pass a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Less than a week later, Graham visited Rock Hill to talk about infrastructure.
The local party, which has had a strong influence in the York County area, said Graham did not “represent conservative values and protect the Republican platform” when he voted in favor of the bill, which focuses on bridge and road repairs, electric vehicle charging station expansion and broadband expansion.
However, Graham defended his vote Tuesday during his visit with local infrastructure officials at Rock Hill’s Sports and Event Center.
“I would disagree,” Graham told reporters in response to the party’s statement. “I think a conservative would want to spend money wisely on things that grow the economy. How do you grow the economy if you can’t get people to the workplace?”
The York County GOP passed the resolution condemning Graham, who was one of 19 Senate Republicans who supported the bill, saying he “turned his back on the Republican Party platform, those who worked to get him elected, and has put America’s interests second to China.”
Graham said he did just the opposite in passing the legislation, which would bring $4.6 billion to South Carolina’s roads and highways and $274 million to state bridge construction and repair, according to estimates from President Joe Biden’s administration.
“The basic role of government is road, water and sewer,” Graham said. “The needs in this part of South Carolina are great. This is truly infrastructure. It’s paid for. It doesn’t add to the debt and there’s no way you can pass bills helping America unless the parties work together.
“With all due respect to my friends at York County, I think this is absolutely what government needs to be doing now.”
The local Republican Party plans to present the censure, a formal statement of disapproval in the form of a resolution, to the state Republican Party. The Aiken County Republican Party also censured Graham earlier this month after his support of the infrastructure package.
The York County GOP Chairman Ben Ignatowicz told The Herald Graham is “always welcome in York County.” Although the party disagrees with Graham, Ignatowicz said they’ll still need to work together.
“We helped elect Sen. Graham for six more years, and helped deliver a 10 point victory in a race many called a toss up,” Ignatowicz said. “The hope is Sen. Graham stands for conservative values and protects the Republican platform, and we hope this shows we are, back home, paying attention.”
Ignatowicz said time will tell if Graham’s support in York County drops in response to his vote on the bipartisan bill.
“I believe he still has time to protect our rights and freedoms in D.C., and we will need him to do this over the next five years,” Ignatowicz said. “We are fighting the good fight here at home, we ask Sen. Graham to do so in D.C.”
‘The infrastructure senator’
Several local officials who met with Graham during his round table event in Rock Hill praised him for his role in getting the infrastructure package through the Senate.
During the event, Graham sat beside prominent York County Republicans S.C. House Majority Leader Gary Simrill and S.C. Sen. Wes Climer, who both thanked Graham for his help in improving the county’s infrastructure.
Simrill and Climer played a key role in bringing the Carolina Panthers to Rock Hill. Graham called the 240-acre headquarters project “one biggest accomplishments” in South Carolina in recent years, and said the development is one of the many examples of how investing in infrastructure can grow the state’s businesses and economy.
“It’s just amazing to see this part of South Carolina change so rapidly,” he said. “Part of it is Charlotte, but that’s a minor part of it. You’re standing on your own. My hope is one day for people to say, ‘Let’s go to York County ... Charlotte’s neither here nor there.”
The York County Republican Party said with Graham voting for the infrastructure package, he “opened the door for the budget resolution,” which allows up to $3.5 trillion in spending.
“I couldn’t disagree more,” Graham said. “I think it makes it more likely we don’t get a big bill. If you give moderate Democrats a place to land, I think they will land there. I think the $3.5 trillion package is going to be less likely to pass as a vision because of this (infrastructure) bill.”
Last week, the House passed a measure approving the budget blueprint and set a date to consider the infrastructure package in late September.
“When this is all said and done, and my time in politics is done, I want them to say, ‘He was the infrastructure senator,’” Graham said. “I’m embracing this. You want to argue about infrastructure, let’s argue. Our state is growing very fast and if we don’t do the things that are in this bill, we’re not going to be able to maintain the quality of life we have today.”
This story was originally published August 31, 2021 at 4:53 PM.
