July 23, 2026
By Henry Redman, Wisconsin Examiner
Wisconsin Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson was named chairman of the Senate budget committee Tuesday, taking up a position left vacant after the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham earlier this month.
Johnson was the fourth highest ranking Republican on the committee, but received the chairmanship because Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) already chair the Judiciary and Finance committees and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is on his way out of the Senate after losing his May primary.
In a statement, Johnson called Graham an “American patriot” and said he’ll “be sorely missed.” He added that he wants to focus on exposing fraud in government.
“As chairman for the remainder of the year, I intend to maximize this opportunity to define the fiscal challenge we face, help expose the fraud in government programs, and work with the House, the White House, and my Senate colleagues to enact as much of President Trump’s agenda as possible,” Johnson said.
Republicans in Congress are currently attempting to pass a third budget reconciliation bill of the term before November’s midterm elections — with a focus on providing the Department of Defense with more funds for the war in Iran, further cutting government benefit programs and passing the SAVE America act to put more restrictions on voting.
A Johnson spokesperson previously told the Wisconsin Examiner that he would “work diligently” to pass a reconciliation bill.
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