Ron Johnson Named Senate Budget Committee Chairman After Graham's Death

Fourth in Senate seniority, Johnson leapt over two sitting chairmen and an exiting colleague to steer reconciliation before November's midterms.

Johnson passed over Grassley, Crapo and the already-departing Cornyn to claim the gavel.
The next reconciliation bill adds $350 billion in Pentagon funding for the Iran war.
The SAVE America Act would ride that same bill to dodge a filibuster.

Why it matters: Seniority and a colleague's death, not an election, decided who now writes the deficit numbers.

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