Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sudden death over the weekend has intensified a problem that was already hampering the GOP’s plans on defense spending: Sen. Mitch McConnell’s health.
After being hospitalized on June 14, McConnell’s monthlong absence has left lawmakers wondering when he might return. More urgently, it has created practical problems for Republicans at a pivotal moment for the Pentagon’s budget — a topic over which McConnell has disproportionate control.
Graham’s death only complicates those problems. McConnell and Graham served as two of the most powerful advocates for a hawkish foreign policy — foils to some of the more isolationist voices in President Donald Trump’s administration. Their absence from the Appropriations Committee — which previously had a one-vote Republican advantage — leaves federal spending work stalled. McConnell, the chairman of the subcommittee that oversees Pentagon funding, has been unable to preside over hearings since he was hospitalized more than four weeks ago.
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