Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who died Saturday at age 71 after a brief and sudden illness, had chaired the Senate Budget Committee since January 2025, using the post to help steer Senate Republicans behind the sweeping “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” that made tax cuts permanent.
With the chairmanship now open following Graham’s death, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson is likely positioned to take over. Johnson currently sits as the panel’s second most senior Republican, and a spokesperson said he “is prepared to serve as budget chair when announced.”
Johnson’s rise to chairman would still need approval from the Senate Republican Conference and confirmation by the full Senate, a process that typically moves quickly when an opening occurs.
Johnson, first elected in 2010, has built a reputation as one of the chamber’s more combative fiscal hawks, frequently pressing colleagues over federal spending levels and deficit projections. Taking the Budget gavel would hand him direct influence over the chamber’s fiscal blueprint at a pivotal moment, with the Budget Committee central to shaping any future reconciliation packages.
