Graham, McCaskill Talk Lame-Duck Issues

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) “gave a preview Sunday of what he believes will — and won’t — make it through the lame-duck session,” The Hill reports.

Appearing on “Fox News Sunday,” Graham stood with his fellow Armed Services Committee member Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who said two weeks ago that studies into “Don’t ask, don’t tell” should focus on how lifting the policy would affect troop morale and not just how the military could implement a repeal.

Thus repealing the ban on gays serving openly in the military, he said, is “not going anywhere.”

“I don’t believe there’s anywhere near the votes to repeal ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ on the Republican side,” Graham said. “I think we’ll be united in lame duck.”

On tax cuts:

On extending the Bush-era tax cuts, which is likely to be the most pressing order of business when the Senate reconvenes, Graham predicted a bipartisan lame-duck vote to extend all of the tax cuts for two or three years.

Also on Fox, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) said she would support raising the upper-income level limit to a million dollars. “I think we should draw the line in the sand for millionaires,” she said, decrying that “the middle class could be held hostage” by the extended tax debate.

Graham also said the DREAM Act has “no chance of success.”

“If we bring up the DREAM Act in the lame duck that’s going nowhere,” Graham said.