‘This Is War’: Sen. Lindsay Graham Slams Bill That Would Force Chick-fil-A to Open Sundays

An exterior view of Chick-fil-A during the coronavirus pandemic in New York City on May 12, 2020. Cindy Ord/Getty Images

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has said that a New York bill that would prohibit Chick-fil-A and other companies from keeping some of their stores closed on Sundays is an un-American move against religious freedom.

“This is war,” Mr. Graham said in a Dec. 22 X post while responding to the state bill.

The Rest Stop Restaurant Act would require fast food and related companies providing services at the Port Authority in New York and New Jersey and the New York State Thruway to operate seven days a week. The bill would affect Chick-fil-A, which usually keeps its stores shut on Sundays.

“If this goes forward, I will be introducing legislation withholding federal funds from any city or state that requires @ChickfilA to stay open on Sunday,” Mr. Graham wrote online. “The founders of Chick-fil-A made a decision early on to close on Sunday, consistent with their faith. For any government to try to reverse this decision flies in the face of who we are as Americans.”

The practice of closing stores on Sundays was made by Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy. According to the company website, the founder made the decision so that “he and his employees could set aside one day to rest or worship if they choose.”

Convenience for Travelers

According to a memo explaining the reason for the bill, introduced by Democrat Assemblyman Tony Simone, the purpose of the measure is to “ensure that New York State’s transportation facilities offer a reliable source of food services.”

The bill noted that the New York State Thruway is currently rebuilding 27 service areas and that the traveling public rely on such services to “rest, refuel, and to purchase food and beverages.”

“While there is nothing objectionable about a fast food restaurant closing on a particular day of the week, service areas dedicated to travelers is an inappropriate location for such a restaurant,” the summary says. “Publicly owned service areas should use their space to maximally benefit the public. Allowing for retail space to go unused one-seventh of the week or more is a disservice and unnecessary inconvenience to travelers who rely on these service areas.”

The bill would come into effect on the 30th day after being signed into law and would only be applicable to contracts that are “entered into on and after such date.” As such, the new rules are not expected to affect Chick-fil-A locations that are already operational.

Mr. Graham noted that “Chick-fil-A is a great company with thousands of locations serving the public with a quality product and taking care of their employees. New York is off base and their actions will not go unanswered.”

The regulations of the bill would not be applicable to temporary concessions or events like farmers markets, flea markets, or the local vendors licensed or permitted to operate by authorities.

Religious Discrimination

The Rest Stop Restaurant Act has triggered strong negative reactions online, with some critics suggesting that the bill targets Christians.

“Liberals hate Christianity so much they want to make it illegal for Chick-fil-A to be closed on Sundays to provide employees a day of rest,” Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, said in a Dec. 19 X post.

Podcast host Keith Olbermann countered the argument, stating that the bill has “got nothing to do with religion.”

“This is about a contract for restaurants at New York State Thruway rest stops. They ALL have to be open 7 days a week. That’s the point,” he wrote.

Chick-fil-A’s founder donated to Christian organizations, some of which lobbied against same-sex marriages, thus making the brand a target of leftists.

Mr. Cathy once made a comment that he is “very much supportive of the family—the biblical definition of the family unit.”

In 2012, Chick-fil-A decided to steer away from controversies and issued a statement saying, “Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena.”

Later in 2019, LGBT activists in Toronto protested against a new outlet of the brand, with some chanting “Hey hey, ho-ho, homophobia’s got to go!”

In March 2019, San Antonio’s city council pushed for banning Chick-fil-A from the San Antonio International Airport due to the restaurant’s alleged “anti-LGBTQ behavior.”

The ban followed a report revealing that the company donated almost $2 million to the Salvation Army, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the Paul Anderson Youth Home, three organizations that the report claimed discriminated against individuals identifying as LGBT.

The city council’s action triggered a massive backlash, with some accusing religious discrimination.

More recently, the brand has faced heat from conservatives, with some suggesting a boycott of the company earlier this year after Chick-fil-A was found to have a vice president of “diversity, equity, [and] inclusion.”