WASHINGTON — Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has come under fire in recent days for admitting he’s never sent an email, which got us wondering, how does Alabama’s longest-serving member of Congress utilize email?
While it is unimaginable for those of us whose work and personal lives revolve around Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail that someone could go their entire life without sending a single email, electronic communication is simply not as important to every day life for some of the older members of Congress.
Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), who has been a member of Congress since 1978, has been taking care of business since long before email became the primary mode of communication.
“I have an iPhone and it belongs to the Senate and it’s all I use … I have [sent emails]. Not a lot,” Sen. Shelby said this week. “The best thing is person-to-person like I’m talking to you. To my staff, talk to them on the phone but also notes. Hand notes. I write a lot. I’ve been here a while; I’m a little older than y’all.”
The email habits of politicians have come under scrutiny lately after revelations that Hillary Clinton used a personal email account and server during her time as Secretary of State. The discovery called into question not only whether or not such a practice is legal, but also whether it indicates the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee was hiding from Congressional oversight details of the Benghazi terror attack.
Sen. Graham’s lack of email use is also causing concerns due to his position on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which addresses matters of privacy and security with regard to modern technology.
What do you think? Should members of Congress be quick to adopt newer modes of communication such as email and social media?
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— Elizabeth BeShears (@LizEBeesh) January 21, 2015
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