The sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) will have ripple effects on the GOP agenda in the coming weeks, as Washington mourns one of its most outspoken dealmakers and defense hawks.
Graham had risen to become one of the most influential voices among Senate Republicans since he was first elected to the chamber more than 20 years ago, becoming a top ally for President Trump. The senator’s office announced Graham died Saturday evening from a “brief and sudden illness” at the age of 71.
Preliminary findings from the Washington, D.C., chief medical examiner revealed Graham is believed to have died from an aortic dissection, a tear in his artery, as a result of heart disease.
Jockeying has already begun for who may replace Graham in the interim and long term. He was running for reelection, setting up a short-term appointment and a special election.
Most immediately, his absence complicates the path for acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to be confirmed to the permanent role. Blanche’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, scheduled for Wednesday, was already expected to face a tight vote to advance his nomination to the Senate floor, with Democrats likely opposed.
Graham holds a seat on the panel, meaning his death at least temporarily reduces the Republican edge on the committee to one seat over the Democrats. That places even power in the hands of two key members who have been on the fence about the nomination, Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas).
Both said they had positive interactions with Blanche in meetings last month but remained noncommittal on supporting his nomination.
Graham’s absence could also set back Trump’s hopes for two additional potential legislative accomplishments — a third budget reconciliation bill and the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act.
Trump and Republican congressional leadership have hoped to approve one more spending package that would, in part, provide additional funding for the Iran war.
Graham served as Senate Budget Committee chair, requiring a replacement to be chosen.
The GOP has already been dealing with the absence of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who has been hospitalized for nearly a month with no signs of when he’ll return to the Senate.
McConnell on Sunday at last revealed details behind his hospitalization. The office of his physician said the senator was admitted after falling at home and sustaining “minor injuries.” McConnell said he developed pneumonia early in his stay but has improved with antibiotic treatment.
He won’t be able to return to vote in the Senate “quite yet,” he said.
McConnell chairs the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee, which approves Pentagon spending. The Trump administration is pushing for a $1.5 trillion defense spending package for next year, but Democrats’ opposition to the proposal means Republicans are stuck, at least for now, The Hill’s Ellen Mitchell reports.
Graham’s death is also a blow for the more hawkish foreign policy faction of the GOP, as he was an ardent supporter of Ukraine, Israel and the Iran war.
Graham was just returning from a trip to Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, before his death.
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said Sunday that he felt Graham was making “great strides” on a bill to place new sanctions on Russia before his death. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) called on Congress to pass the bill in Graham’s honor.
“There can be no more fitting memorial to Lindsey, his legacy, or the causes he fought for, than to pass this legislation and realize his long-held dream of an independent and secure Ukraine,” she said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Graham during a Sunday appearance on NBC News’s “Meet the Press,” saying the senator was “very clear” about the need to eliminate Iran’s nuclear program.
“And he just never wavered, you know?” Netanyahu said. “He was so clear, he had clarity, he had courage, he had convictions that he believed were at the basis of America.”
Trump told NBC’s Kristen Welker on Sunday that he had just spoken to Graham on Saturday shortly before he died. Graham told him, “We’re all set,” on the SAVE America Act, a voting requirements bill that Trump has been pushing for months, the president said.
Trump has acknowledged the difficulty in getting the bill passed. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) maintains there isn’t enough support in the upper chamber to overcome Democratic opposition or eliminate the filibuster.
“This is a big blow to the SAVE America Act, let me tell you,” Trump said.
A Republican soon will be appointed to take Graham’s place. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) is responsible for naming a replacement to serve out the remaining months of Graham’s term. That person may also run in the upcoming November election to become the GOP candidate for a full term.
Graham’s replacement will return the GOP to its 53-seat Senate majority, but they won’t easily replace the role the South Carolinian played in the party.
▪ The Hill: Colleagues, politicians pay tribute to Graham.
▪ Axios: Graham’s final push for Saudi-Israel peace.
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