Thirty-two years in federal office produces a long voting record. Lindsey Graham cast thousands of votes across four Senate terms.
What follows is a summary of the most significant and consequential ones — the votes that made his record, defined his reputation, and still generate debate.
His full biography and career timeline provide the surrounding context.
Iraq War Authorization (2002)
Graham voted for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq, enabling the 2003 invasion.
He never fully recanted this vote, making him one of a diminishing number of senators who maintained that the decision was defensible in principle even as the war's costs became clear.
His vote was consistent with his broader view — detailed in the account of the conflicts he supported — that American military engagement was often necessary to prevent larger problems.
The USA PATRIOT Act and Surveillance Legislation
Graham supported the PATRIOT Act and subsequent surveillance legislation that expanded government monitoring authority after September 11.
He also participated in debates about the legal limits of surveillance and was, at various points, a voice for reform of the most expansive surveillance authorities — a position that reflected his JAG legal background and his interest in maintaining constitutional frameworks even within a national security context.
Gang of Eight Immigration Bill (2013)
Graham voted for the bipartisan immigration reform bill that would have created a pathway to legal status for millions of undocumented immigrants, increased border security funding, and reformed the legal immigration system.
The bill passed the Senate 68-32 but died in the House. His vote drew lasting criticism from the nationalist wing of the Republican Party and became a reference point in his subsequent political evolution.
Supreme Court Confirmations
Graham voted for every Republican Supreme Court nominee during his Senate tenure. His votes for Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett were significant both for their outcomes and for his public role in the Kavanaugh and Coney Barrett confirmations — roles that became defining controversies of his career.
He voted against both of President Obama's Supreme Court nominees (Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan) and against the confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson under President Biden.
Ukraine Aid Packages (2022–2026)
Graham voted for every major Ukraine military aid package after Russia's 2022 invasion and was often a driving force behind getting them to the floor.
He worked to build bipartisan coalitions in periods when Republican isolationism threatened to stall the packages. His advocacy for Ukrainian military assistance was one of the consistent through-lines of his final Senate years.
Trump Impeachment Votes (2019 and 2021)
Graham voted to acquit Donald Trump in both impeachment trials — the 2019 trial related to the Ukraine phone call and the 2021 trial related to January 6.
In the second trial, his acquittal vote came after he had made a Senate floor speech suggesting Trump bore significant responsibility for the Capitol attack.
The contradiction between his statement and his vote became one of the most-discussed moments of his career.
Criminal Justice Reform
Graham co-authored the First Step Act, signed into law in 2018, which reduced mandatory minimum sentences for certain drug offenses and introduced criminal justice reforms that had bipartisan support. It was one of the clearest examples of his ability to build cross-aisle coalitions on domestic policy issues.
The Overall Pattern
Graham's voting record was reliably Republican on economic issues, tax policy, and deregulation. On foreign policy and defense, he was consistently interventionist and pro-military.
On a handful of domestic issues — immigration, criminal justice, some social issues — he showed more willingness than most of his colleagues to cross party lines.
His political legacy cannot be assessed without this full record, and the record cannot be understood without the context his biography provides.
