He death of Senator Lindsey Grahamlast Saturday, added to the continued absence of Senator Mitch McConnell, leaves Senate Republicans with few troops at a crucial moment for President Donald Trump’s agenda. The Senate returns from a two-week recess with a long to-do list: renewing an expired surveillance law, considering Trump’s request for more Pentagon funding for the war with Iran, confirming Todd Blanche as attorney general and passing spending bills before the Sept. 30 deadline for government funding. Graham’s death and McConnell’s prolonged absence leave Republicans with a 51-47 majority in the Senate.
McConnell, who was hospitalized last month, declared Sunday that he is not yet ready to return to the Senate floor on medical advice, reducing the Republican majority until Graham’s successor is sworn in and McConnell returns. The Senate is scheduled to meet for only seven weeks before the midterm elections. In addition to renewing the surveillance law and considering Trump’s request to increase defense spending, Congress must also reach an agreement to fund the federal government by September 30 to avoid another government shutdown.
Some Republicans also want to push other priorities before the midterm elections through the reconciliation procedure, a lengthy process that allows them to pass laws without Democratic votes as long as they follow budget rules. In theory, those priorities are still possible without McConnell and Graham, but they could be harder to achieve. Graham was chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, which plays a crucial role in passing bills through the reconciliation procedure. He was also a leading member of the Judiciary Committee, which will hold a hearing on Blanche’s nomination tomorrow.
Republicans would maintain an 11-10 majority on the Judiciary Committee even without Graham, allowing them to push for Blanche’s nomination if all remaining Republicans were present and supported her. However, without Graham and McConnell, it could be more difficultl confirm Blanche on the Senate floor if a small group of Republicans oppose her appointment. Graham, who spent more than two decades in the House of Representatives and had a close relationship with Trump, died suddenly on Saturday night.
His office on Sunday afternoon released the Washington, D.C., medical examiner’s preliminary results, which attribute the death to an aortic dissection; that is, a tear in a layer of the artery. The result was pending until additional testing was completed. McConnell has been absent from the Senate since his hospitalization on June 14. For weeks, his office refused to explain the medical cause. But on Sunday, after weeks of rumors and growing doubts about his condition, the senator issued a statement stating that his hospitalization was due to a fall.
McConnell said he was not yet healthy enough to return to the Senate and that he had battled pneumonia while in the hospital, although he had recently left to check into a rehabilitation center. Operating without two key members increases pressure on Senate Republicans to advance priorities that have been stalled by internal party conflicts and disagreements with Democrats ahead of the midterm elections.
The Senate Appropriations Committee has yet to approve any fiscal year 2027 spending bills ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline, as a disagreement with Democrats over defense funding and McConnell’s absence have delayed the process.
Democrats have refused to endorse the increase in defense spending proposed by Republicans without a comparable increase in funding for domestic programs. Democratic senators have indicated they will not support the spending bills until an agreement is reached on overall funding levels.
Graham’s death, coupled with McConnell’s absence, leaves just 13 Republicans on the Appropriations Committee compared to 14 Democrats, meaning Republicans cannot advance any spending bill if all Democrats oppose it.
The Budget Committee, chaired by Graham, oversees the reconciliation process and would play a key role in crafting what would be the third partisan budget bill in this Congress. Trump has called for another reconciliation bill that he said would include $350 billion in defense funding.
Without Graham, the committee is divided along partisan lines. Republicans are expected to move quickly to replace Graham on the committee, but any delays in the process could reduce their chances of passing a bill before the midterm elections.
Additionally, some Republican lawmakers have already expressed skepticism about the possibility of another bill with a partisan majority passing in the chamber.
The Trump administration has also requested $87.6 billion in supplemental funding for the Pentagon and other agencies. McConnell chairs the defense subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which has jurisdiction over military spending.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, said the committee will hold a hearing on the request. However, it is unclear whether any Democrats on the committee would support the funding. Under South Carolina law, Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, can name a temporary successor to serve the remainder of Graham’s current term, which ends in January. Senate Republicans will also need a floor vote to assign another like-minded senator to Graham’s committee positions.