Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) declared “war” Friday over a New York state bill that would require some Chick-fil-A restaurants to operate on Sundays.
“This is war,” Graham wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
He continued in a second post, threatening to introduce legislation that would withhold federal funds from cities that require the fast food chain to stay open on Sundays.
“The founders of Chick-fil-A made a decision early on to close on Sunday, consistent with their faith,” the South Carolina senator said. “For any government to try to reverse this decision flies in the face of who we are as Americans.”
“Chick-fil-A is a great company with thousands of locations serving the public with a quality product and taking care of their employees,” he added. “New York is off base, and their actions will not go unanswered.”
The aforementioned New York bill aims to have restaurants in state highway system rest areas operate for the entirety of the week, according to The Associated Press (AP).
However, Chick-fil-A is well known for its policy that keeps its doors closed on Sundays. The policy is intended to allow its employees to spend time with their family and “worship if they choose,” per the chain’s website.
Restaurants that are operating now wouldn’t be affected by the bill, according to the AP.
Instead, every contract for food concessions in the future at transportation facilities owned by New York state and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey would be affected by the legislation.
State Rep. Tony Simone (D), who introduced the bill, said its purpose is to allow travelers in the Empire State to have a diversity of food options, per the AP.
“Look, if you want to eat fried chicken while traveling over the holidays, then Chick-fil-A should be open on Sundays,” Simone argued.