Darline Graham Breaks With Her Late Brother On Another Key Issue

Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC) on Monday called for eliminating the Senate filibuster to pass the SAVE America Act, breaking with the position held by her late brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

During a Republican primary debate Monday night, Graham argued that Republicans should abolish the 60-vote threshold rather than wait for Democrats to do so first.

“One of the first things I did was co-sponsor the SAVE America Act. As I said earlier, I’m willing to stay through recess to get it done. What’s up with recess anyway? Who gets a month off from work?” she asked, adding, “I think we should stay up there and work and get it done.”

“You have to have an ID to check out a library book, to buy alcohol, you don’t have to have an ID to vote? That’s absurd!” she continued.

Acknowledging the fact that her brother had always stopped short of agreeing that the filibuster had to go, Graham argued — as many have — that Democrats were likely to get rid of it the moment they regained power.

“I am all for – this is where I differ from my brother – getting rid of the filibuster to get this done, because eventually the Democrats are going to get rid of it anyway,” she said.

Graham was appointed to the Senate after Lindsey Graham died in July from an aortic dissection. Just days later, with the full backing of President Donald Trump, she was sworn in and declared her intention to seek a full term in the U.S. Senate.

Monday’s debate had Graham facing off with her Republican opposition: Reps. Ralph Norman (R-SC) and Russell Fry (R-SC), businessman Mark Lynch and former Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC).

After Lynch aimed a series of attacks on the late senator, Graham jumped to her brother’s defense.

“Mr. Lynch mentioned Lindsey Graham multiple times, and I don’t know if he’s afraid that Lindsey beat him and now his little sister is going to beat him, but I just don’t like hearing that,” she said.

Graham said in a previous interview that she would break with her brother in another way, saying she planned to focus more on kitchen-table issues than on foreign policy and national security, as he had.