The sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham and the ongoing absence of Senator Mitch McConnell will weigh on Congress as it returns from its July 4 holiday break on Monday to grapple with key defense and national security legislation during a compressed four-week summer work period.

Impact on Senate Majority

With McConnell out indefinitely and Graham’s seat temporarily empty, the Republican caucus is down two members, effectively leaving it with a minimal 51-seat majority that could create hurdles for Senate Majority Leader John Thune as he seeks to pass major defense policy legislation and a new Russia sanctions bill, revive a lapsed foreign surveillance program and confirm Trump nominees, including Todd Blanche as U.S. attorney general.

Graham sat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, and McConnell remains a member. Without them, the panel could have a harder time reaching an agreement on government funding to avert a federal shutdown when current funding expires at the start of fiscal year 2027 on October 1.

McConnell’s Health and Return

McConnell, an 84-year-old Kentucky Republican who has spent half his life in Congress, also chairs the Senate Rules Committee and has been absent since mid-June. In a statement to constituents on Sunday, McConnell said he was hospitalized after a fall and later developed mild pneumonia, but has moved to a rehabilitation center and remains determined to return to the Senate.

“I’ll keep working hard to get back on the Senate floor as soon as possible,” McConnell said without providing a timeline for his return.

Legislative Agenda

As chair of the Senate Budget Committee, Graham sought a new budget package to circumvent opposition from Democrats and pass Republican priorities such as additional defense funding, new tax cuts and some Trump-backed voter restrictions.

Graham and McConnell were also key to Republican hopes of reviving a lapsed Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act program, as lawmakers scrutinize Trump’s decision to appoint Bill Pulte, an ally with no intelligence background, as acting head of national intelligence.

The Senate Judiciary Committee’s loss of Graham also could impact the confirmation of Blanche, who raised hackles among Republicans and Democrats this year as acting attorney general by promoting a now-defunct $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund that critics say could have benefited Trump allies.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.