WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), the Chairman of the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs of the Senate Appropriations Committee, held a hearing on Russian aggression toward its neighbors.

The Foreign Minister of Ukraine, and Ambassadors of the Republic of Poland, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia testified before the subcommittee.

• GRAHAM: “It is my belief [that] if we forgive and forget regarding our own election, we’ll invite future aggression by other countries and that the Republican Party and Democratic Party should be one when it comes to foreign interference. An attack on one party should be considered an attack on all.” https://youtu.be/06HOgN-gSnU?t=1m54s

• GRAHAM: “My goal is to inform the American people of the risks that you have living in the backyard of Russia – as a democracy. That they’re coming after us, France and Germany until somebody stops them. And we’re going to try to give you more tools in your toolbox to fight back because the safer you are, the safer we will be.” https://youtu.be/06HOgN-gSnU?t=1h53m9s

• GRAHAM: “I want this Subcommittee to lead the way in terms of uniting our country. Starting with this Subcommittee, it is now time to push back against Russia’s interference in democracy at home and abroad.” https://youtu.be/06HOgN-gSnU?t=2m11s
• GRAHAM: “And every effort to stop Russia in the past, whether it be Georgia, Ukraine, you name it, is clearly not working. My goal is to come up with something that will work. I want a better relationship with Russia, but that will never be achieved until Russia changes its practice of trying to grind democracy into the ground. I can understand why Putin is afraid of democracy. I can’t understand why America and others will not defend it.” https://youtu.be/06HOgN-gSnU?t=1h53m42s

• GRAHAM: “I just met with President Trump. I think you’re going to have a good ally in President Trump, in terms of having a rotational troop presence in a permanent fashion. That Ukraine will be helped more, not less. And that we will push back against all Russian aggression. And I look forward to working with him and my Democratic and Republican colleagues to give you some hope in the region – that America is back.” https://youtu.be/06HOgN-gSnU?t=1h54m7s