WASHINGTON — A mournful Senate gaveled back into session Monday for the first time after the sudden death of the upper chamber’s giant, Sen. Lindsey Graham, over the weekend.
The Senate honored Graham (R-SC), 71, by draping his desk in the upper chamber with a black shroud and placing a bowl of white flowers on it, in keeping with its tradition of honoring fallen senators.
Upon gaveling back into session, Rear Admiral Barry Black, chaplain of the United States Senate, said a prayer for Graham, asking God to “give comfort, strength, and peace to his family, friends, colleagues, and all who mourn his passing.
“‘It’s difficult to believe that Lindsey Graham is no longer here with us, that we won’t run into him at a meeting today or share a joke with him at this afternoon’s vote,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SC) lamented in a floor speech.
“The halls of the Senate already feel empty without it. And I know I’m not alone in that feeling.”
The Senate leader hailed Graham’s humor and advice. He praised Graham for being “undaunted by the politics if he believed he was right on the principle.”
Thune later fought back tears as he concluded his speech.
“I am comforted by the knowledge that in the end, he has just changed his address. And that one day, Mr. President. We will laugh together again,” he said as his eyes welled up.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the Senate Pro Tempore, hailed Graham’s “warm nature” and “quick wit.”
“He was infectious in the way he told a story. And of course, there was always a punchline. I was no stranger to being the butt of his jokes,” Grassley reminisced.
Grassley urged the Senate to pass the bipartisan sanctions bill against countries that purchase oil from Russia as a means of honoring the late senator. Graham had strongly advocated for that bill and grew optimistic about its prospects before his death.
“Senator Graham loved to tell people how frugal I was, and if I were ever to open my billfold, dust and moss would come out of it,” he went on. “Senator Graham always brought a smile to your face and levity to the halls of Congress.”
Outside his office, supporters put sticky notes on the door, flowers, and a condolence book paying tribute to the late statesman.
Graham died suddenly on Saturday evening from heart complications after returning home from his trip to Ukraine. An outpouring of Graham’s colleagues on both sides of the aisle publicly paid tribute to him.
The late South Carolina Republican had become a fixture of the Senate over the past two decades, having emerged as a key player in most bipartisan legislation that got through the upper chamber during his tenure.
“He was able to deal with Democrats,” President Trump recounted on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” Sunday of Graham.
“If I had a problem, a real problem, I wouldn’t often ask. But if I had a problem with a Democrat, he could work it out. He was a great politician, actually.”
The late GOP senator was also a foreign policy luminary, having cultivated close ties to foreign leaders all around the globe and being a strong voice for a more hawkish foreign policy.
Graham’s unexpected death sent shockwaves through Capitol Hill. The South Carolinian frequently called and golfed with Trump and was known to have sway with the president on issues such as the Middle East and the war in Ukraine.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (D) is expected to name an interim successor to Graham later in the day Monday.
Then on Aug. 11, the state is expected to have a special GOP primary for his vacated seat. Graham had been up for reelection this cycle.
