Lindsey Graham 2016: 7 Facts About Political Background of Potential GOP Presidential Hopeful

Though the South Carolina native is well known in the Palmetto State, Sen. Lindsey Graham is may be less familiar to potential voters in other areas of the country. Here are seven facts about the political background of this potential 2016 GOP presidential hopeful.

1. Before he became a senator, Graham served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from South Carolina’s 3rd District, beginning in 1994. According to his congressional bio page, he was the first Republican elected in that district since 1877.

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2. Graham is just one of two members of Congress who are serving in the National Guard or Reserves. His bio page states that he is a colonel in the Air Force and is also a senior instructor at the Air Force JAG School.

3. According to The Hill, Graham was a co-author of a comprehensive immigration reform bill that passed in the Senate in 2014. He has been outspoken about providing a pathway to citizenship for what are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country, in part to make sure the Republican party stays relevant with nonwhite voters.

“A pathway to citizenship, after you secure the border, control who gets a job, more legal immigrations where they have to pass a criminal background check, learn the English language, wait 10 years before you can apply for a green card," he was quoted as saying. "If you solve the immigration problem in a good, American, responsible way, our party's back in the game and we can dominate the 21st century.”

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4. Graham introduced an amendment that would have prevented the federal government from providing funds to help bail cities out of financial crises, specifically Detroit. His conservative credentials were bolstered by his amendment, which failed by a 14-16 vote.

“The federal government is beyond broke,” Graham said. “The last thing we need is the broke bailing out the broke. There is no doubt Detroit has huge problems, but they are facing problems of their own making. Detroit and other municipalities facing these issues need to get their own financial houses in order.”

5. Before Graham worked in national politics, he served two years in the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 2nd District. The district is in Oconee County.

6. Graham is considered a moderate Republican and is derided by Tea Party politicians. A 2010 article in The New York Times stated that his “reflexive displays of bipartisanship have made him a scourge among South Carolina Tea Partiers” and Graham went on to say, “The problem with the Tea Party, I think it’s just unsustainable because they can never come up with a coherent vision for governing the country. It will die out.”

7. According to MapLight, Graham has served on the following Senate committees: 

• Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
• Appropriations
• Armed Services
• Budget
• Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
• Judiciary
• Special Committee on Aging
• Veterans' Affairs

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