Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) redoubled his efforts to repeal a New York state bill that would require new restaurants opening in highway rest areas to offer service seven days a week.
Graham has focused his anger on the impact the bill would have on Chick-fil-A, which has long had a policy of closing on Sundays for the Sabbath so employees can “worship if they want,” according to company policy.
In an interview Thursday on “Fox & Friends” — and a subsequent post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter — Graham made clear he had no intention of backing down anytime soon.
“The bottom line is: Conservatives are tolerant. We’re, you know, going out of your business, so to speak – “Leave me alone; “I’ll leave you alone,” he said. “It’s time to push back.”
“I'm sure this is a publicity stunt, but the idea that New York State will force a company to change its policies has haunted it since its inception. They want their employees to have a day off to know the Lord. And they can do it,” he said.
“And to the people in New York who are pushing this: you’re in for one hell of a fight,” he said in the interview.
Graham first made the New York state bill one of his focuses when he declared on X last week, “This is war.”
He continued to threaten to introduce legislation that would withhold federal funding from cities that require the fast-food chain to remain open on Sundays.
“The founders of Chick-fil-A, consistent with their faith, made the early decision to close on Sunday,” the South Carolina senator said at the time. “An administration’s attempt to reverse this decision is antithetical to who we are as Americans.”
Graham then took a trip to a Chick-fil-A store in New York and reiterated his commitment to fighting the bill.
New York Rep. Tony Simone (D), who introduced the bill earlier this month, said it aims to provide travelers in New York with various dining options at rest stops, The Associated Press reported. The bill would not apply to restaurants currently in operation, meaning its impact would be limited to existing Chick-fil-A locations, the news outlet added.
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