“The United States Senate will never see anyone quite like Lindsey Graham again. He was a happy warrior. He always put service before himself. And he believed in the Senate as an institution. He continued to shape it throughout his successful and his significant career. He helped make America safer and stronger. And Mr. President, I just join the entire Senate, and his friends and his family, in mourning the loss of our dear friend, Lindsey Graham.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) today delivered remarks honoring the life, legacy, and impact of Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).
Click HERE to watch Senator Barrasso’s remarks.
Sen. Barrasso’s remarks as delivered:
“I rise today to honor my good friend and colleague Lindsey Graham. Our colleague from South Carolina – he led an impactful life. He leaves an impressive legacy. And he left all of us important lessons for life.
“The great cause to which Lindsey Graham devoted his life was the United States of America. That’s what it was. Day One, all the way to the end. Lindsey Graham loved America. He believed that our nation is exceptional, as do so many of us. He believed our nation was worth fighting for. He believed especially in the American people. He fought for the people of his home state of South Carolina and the people of this great country every single day. And he did it with determination. He always believed that America was a nation he needed to fight for every day to make us safer and stronger.
“His life was shaped early on by duty and by love. Tragedy came early. At the age of 21, he lost both of his parents within 15 months. At the time, he began raising his 13-year-old sister Darline. And he made sure that she stayed in school and went on to continue her education in college. He was with her all the way. He later adopted her.
“Lindsey once said that he was most proud of the woman that Darline had become. Now, Darline is going to fill her brother’s seat right here in the United States Senate. And there is nobody better to carry on Lindsey’s legacy than his beloved sister.
“Lindsey was a strong advocate for our military. He joined the Air Force right out of law school, and he served our nation in uniform for 33 years. He remained in the Reserves even while serving in Congress. One year over New Years, Lindsey was serving in Afghanistan, and I went and met him there, and we went and visited the troops from my home state of Wyoming and with his troops from South Carolina. He never let anyone forget how proud he was of our service members and of our country.
“Lindsey’s dad ran a bar in South Carolina. Lindsey talked about it often. He used to say it was good training for his life in politics. Lindsey told me one of the key lessons he learned from his father was this. He said, ‘The key to being a successful bar owner’ in South Carolina or probably anywhere is ‘you have to be funny enough that people will keep coming back. You have to be tough enough so people won’t take over your business.’
“That was Lindsey Graham. He was the funniest man in the United States Senate. His humor – it was like superglue. It brought people together. Kept them together.
“Lindsey and I traveled the world, often to war zones. And when you travel with Lindsey, you visit a lot of tough places around the world. We visited Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine. And we traveled to show our support for the men and women of our military.
“Lindsey and I got to know each other a lot on those long trips. We shared a lot of laughs. I will never forget how much fun it was with Lindsey to sing the lyrics of the old television shows, the ones from the 50s, 60s, and early 70s. Some of his favorites – and he knew all the words: ‘Gilligan’s Island,’ ‘the Beverly Hillbillies,’ ‘the Adams Family,’ ‘Green Acres,’ ‘F-Troop,’ and of course, ‘Car 54, Where Are You?’ We’d sing together, we’d laugh, and these moments will stay with me forever.
“His friendship meant the world to me.
“You know, Lindsey was constantly on the move. He had just returned from Ukraine this past weekend. He was scheduled to be on ‘Meet the Press’ on Sunday morning – in the studio. I think his favorite three places to be were at home in South Carolina, on the golf course with President Trump, and in front of the TV camera for Sunday morning news shows.
“His greatest strength, of course, was his character. In Congress, people are often divided into show horses and workhorses. Lindsey was both! He was a show horse and a workhorse. And he was the best at both.
“As President Trump said on Sunday morning, Lindsey was uncommonly hardworking, energetic, and steadfast. When Lindsey believed in something, he fought for it. And no one was more effective.
“The American people remember his stirring defense of now-Justice Brett Kavanaugh. It was an incredible moment, and his words changed the course of history.
“Lindsey was a true conservative. And he believed also in working across the aisle. He wanted to tackle our nation’s most pressing challenges. And he knew in many ways you had to do that in a bipartisan way. He believed in the Reagan approach. If you can’t get the whole loaf at once, take it a slice at a time. That’s how the Senate’s supposed to work.
“Lindsey chaired some of the most powerful committees in this chamber. As the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he led the second fastest confirmation of a Supreme Court Justice of all time – Amy Coney Barrett. When this Congress began in 2025, he became the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. He made clear that he would carry out the agenda that the American people had voted just voted for in November of 2024.
“He guided the Senate through some of the toughest battles we’ve ever had. The Working Families Tax Cuts law and the Secure America Act are a direct result of Lindsey Graham’s leadership.
“As Whip, my job is to count the votes, and I could always count on Lindsey to help when the votes were close. The Senate has taken 135 votes on hostile amendments from the Democrats in the last year and a half. They were trying to undermine the Republican agenda. Thanks to Lindsey’s persistence and his help, we did not lose a single one.
“Lindsey truly was a force of nature here in the Senate. From the cloakroom to the committee room to the campaign trail, he brimmed with ideas and with energy. That’s what makes his passing and the timing of it so tragic. He was at the peak of his influence and impact. He still had so much more to do and to give.
“The United States Senate will never see anyone quite like Lindsey Graham again. He was a happy warrior. He always put service before himself. And he believed in the Senate as an institution. He continued to shape it throughout his successful and his significant career. He helped make America stronger and safer. And Mr. President, I just join the entire Senate, and his friends and his family in mourning the loss of our dear friend, Lindsey Graham.”
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