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Lindsey Graham On Education: 4 Things The Presidential Candidate Wants You To Know

This article is more than 8 years old.

Lindsey Graham, the senior senator from South Carolina, joined the growing ranks of candidates for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. Graham, who recently announced his retirement after 33 years of service to the Air Force , has focused on foreign affairs, national security and armed services during his two terms in the Senate. He didn’t mention education issues in his launch speech on Monday in Central, South Carolina.

Earlier in his career he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1995 and served on the education committee and was instrumental in the negotiations over No Child Left Behind. He has supported prayer in schools and vouchers for students to attend private schools.

Back in 2013 an audience member asked him a question about Common Core State Standards and he replied, “What’s that?” Just a few months later he sponsored a bill to denounce the nationwide curriculum initiative. Here are some of his views on education:

Homeschooling:

When you look at the outcomes of homeschooling, it will just blow you away. So here, you can take this one to the bank, you’ve got no better friend than Lindsey Graham for homeschooling as an option. I was the one who convinced the Department of Defense to allow homeschooled graduates to be eligible for military service. Why would you want to drive these patriotic kids away?

Republican Liberty Caucus of South Carolina, September 2013

Common Core State Standards:

The Obama Administration has effectively bribed and coerced states into adopting Common Core. Blanket education standards should not be a prerequisite for federal funding. In order to have a competitive application for some federal grants and flexibility waivers, states have to adopt Common Core. This is simply not the way the Obama Administration should be handling education policy. Our resolution affirms that education belongs in the hands of our parents, local officials and states.

Lgraham.senate.gov, February 2014

University engineering programs:

Graham introduced the Manufacturing Universities Act of 2015 in March. The bill directs the Commerce Department to designate 25 universities as “manufacturing universities” to strengthen their engineering programs related to targeted industries. Each school would get $5 million a year for four years. He said: “I look forward to working on additional, innovative ways to ensure our manufacturing sector thrives and maintains its international competitiveness in the years to come."

Personal education background:

Graham, 59, grew up in Central, South Carolina, and earned his undergraduate degree in psychology and his law degree from the University of South Carolina. In college he participated in ROTC, the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. He served in the Air Force, the South Carolina Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve and attained the rank of colonel. Last week he announced his retirement; he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 60 on July 9.

Graham’s parents, who ran a pool hall and liquor store, never graduated from high school and died when he was in his early 20s. Graham, who is unmarried, helped raise his teenage sister, Darline, and says she would not have been able to attend college without a federally funded Pell Grant for low-income families.

Other candidates' views on education are hereJeb BushBen CarsonLincoln ChafeeChris ChristieHillary ClintonTed CruzCarly FiorinaMike HuckabeeBobby JindalMartin O'MalleyGeorge Pataki, Rand Paul, Rick PerryMarco RubioBernie SandersRick SantorumDonald TrumpScott WalkerJim Webb