Republican lawmakers have just lost perhaps their most effective line of communication, not just with President Trump but, in some cases, with Democrats.
Lindsey Graham’s death rocks Senate
The sudden death of Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham has rattled Capitol Hill, leaving Congress without one of Trump’s most effective liaisons.
WASHINGTON – Congressional Republicans are grappling with a number of issues months before they are at risk of losing complete control of the Capitol.
They have a slim majority in the Senate and an even bigger majority in the House. They have recently been unable to pass significant legislation to keep the wheels of government turning. And they are struggling to reconcile the conflicting demands of President Donald Trump, the often unpredictable but still dominant party leader.
When it comes to dealing with all these dynamics, one person who has long been one of the problem solvers is Lindsey Graham.
He “liked to get involved in everything,” Sen. John Kennedy (R-Louisiana) told USA TODAY.
That was until this weekend, when Graham suddenly passed away after traveling abroad. He died of life-threatening conditions due to a ruptured heart. He was 71 years old.
The veteran South Carolina lawmaker’s death stunned friends on both sides of the aisle in the Capitol, but it comes at a critical moment for Congressional Republicans, especially the Senate. There is little time left to get much done before the midterm elections, and intraparty disagreements have paralyzed President Trump’s policies in Congress.
Feuds over voting restriction bills and border security bills have effectively frozen debate in the House, and hardline Republicans are increasingly angry with moderate Senate Republicans. President Trump also criticized the Senate, claiming that a small number of Republicans were standing in the way of his most important priorities.
Lindsey Graham bridged the gap in Congress
Graham became an effective tool to bridge those differences. He was able to appease both the MAGA crowd and the Senate institutionalists. He had good working relationships with many Democrats. As he has served as a member of both houses of Congress, he may be able to contribute to resolving conflicts between the two chambers.
Perhaps most importantly, he has been a consistent liaison between Trump, a close friend, and Capitol Hill.
“He was a great spokesperson for the Senate,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said on CNN. “He understood what the president wanted to accomplish and worked with him to accomplish that, but he was also very clear about what the Senate could and could not accomplish.”
“Given his relationship with Senate Republicans and the president and his team, his voice will be truly missed,” Thune said.
There’s a lot going on in Congress between now and November, including President Trump’s recent call for Republicans to increase funding for the Pentagon as the Iran war drags on.
It won’t be easy to do everything without Graham, a powerful former budget chairman, Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) told USA TODAY.
“It becomes even more difficult,” he said.
Death begins for South Carolina Republican jockey
Graham’s Senate seat won’t be vacant for long. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster has appointed his sister, Darling Graham Nordone, to serve the remainder of her term until January 2027.
However, the start of next semester may bring its own challenges. A more permanent successor to Graham’s six-year term will be chosen in a special primary election in August. House Republicans from the Palmetto State, including Rep. Nancy Mace, Rep. Ralph Norman and Rep. Russell Frey, may eventually run. Pamela Evett, the current lieutenant governor, is also seen as a strong candidate for Graham’s seat.
If the congressman runs, his campaign-related absences could narrow House Speaker Mike Johnson’s two-vote lead. Joe Wilson, a conservative and longtime congressman from South Carolina, already fielded a phone call from President Trump over the weekend asking him not to run for that very reason.
“I promised him that my goal was to remain in the House and maintain a two-vote majority of the American people,” Wilson wrote on social media.
Congress will adjourn for most of August and October, leaving only the remainder of July and September to pass the annual government funding bill, the annual defense policy bill, the farm bill, key Espionage Act amendments, confirmations of Trump’s Cabinet, and many other important to-do list items.
On July 13, there was a glimmer of hope for Republicans hoping for more progress on these matters when Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican who had helped freeze the legislative agenda for weeks, said she would help restart things.
Zachary Schermele is USA TODAY’s Congressional Correspondent. You can email us at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and on Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social..
