{"id":2636412,"date":"2026-07-28T06:52:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T10:52:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-the-big-beautiful-bill-became-law-graham-wins-over-murderers-row\/"},"modified":"2026-07-28T07:04:57","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T11:04:57","slug":"how-the-big-beautiful-bill-became-law-graham-wins-over-murderers-row","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-the-big-beautiful-bill-became-law-graham-wins-over-murderers-row\/","title":{"rendered":"How the Big Beautiful Bill became law: Graham wins over &#8216;Murderer&#8217;s Row&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhow-the-big-beautiful-bill-became-law-graham-wins-over-murderers-row%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2636412&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Lindsey Graham, a long-serving senator from South Carolina, unexpectedly became the chairman of the Senate Committee on the Budget just before Donald Trump\u2019s second presidency. He played a pivotal role in passing the &#8220;One Big Beautiful Bill,&#8221; a meaningful legislation involving tax cuts and spending. Graham, who referred to his committee colleagues as \u201cMurderer\u2019s Row,\u201d was known for his leadership in navigating complex reconciliation processes and Senate rules. He emphasized simplicity and teamwork, encouraging colleagues to focus on broad goals like extending Trump\u2019s 2017 tax cuts, rather than getting bogged down in perfectionism. Throughout the legislative journey, Graham engaged in extensive negotiations, listening to fiscal conservatives and moderates alike, frequently enough arranging high-level meetings, including with Trump and in the Oval Office, to garner support. Despite opposition from some fiscal hawks and key figures like Rand Paul,Graham successfully managed to pass the legislation by building consensus,embodying a pragmatic,team-oriented approach.His efforts underscored the rare legislative window of Republican control, enabling them to push considerable policy changes without Democratic support.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the days leading up to<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\"> Donald Trump\u2019s<\/a> second presidency, South Carolina Sen.<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/lindsey-graham\/\"> Lindsey Graham<\/a> got some unexpected news.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Graham was one of the longest-serving members of the Senate Committee on the Budget, and, based on seniority, would be its chairman for the 119th<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/congress\/\"> Congress<\/a> \u2014 a job poised to place him at the center of some of the biggest policy fights of the next six months. He\u2019d not only be responsible for ushering the big beautiful bill across the Senate floor, a herculean task given Republicans\u2019 three-seat majority. But he\u2019d also be leading a rag-tag group of opinionated Republicans who sat on the panel, many of them fiscal hawks.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4655253\/big-beautiful-bill-lindsey-graham-wins-over-murderers-row\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>How the Big Beautiful Bill became law: Graham wins over \u2018Murderer\u2019s Row\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4664980\/thune-pours-cold-water-trump-call-axe-august-recess-save-america-act\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Thune pours cold water on Trump\u2019s call to axe August recess for SAVE America Act<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4664646\/bob-cusack-gop-more-divided-since-one-big-beautiful-bill-act\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>GOP more divided now than when Trump\u2019s tax bill passed: Bob Cusack<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The late Graham, speaking to the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> a week before his <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4645261\/lindsey-graham-dead-illness-obituary\/\">sudden death on July 11<\/a>, fondly referred to that crew as \u201cMurderer\u2019s Row.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\">Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) talks with reporters as he leaves a closed-door meeting with Senate Republicans for discussions on advancing President Donald Trump\u2019s bill of tax breaks and spending cuts on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/07\/localimages\/AP25155717906536.jpg?w=696&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) talks with reporters as he leaves a closed-door meeting with Senate Republicans for discussions on advancing President Donald Trump\u2019s bill of tax breaks and spending cuts on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think God works in mysterious ways,\u201d he said. \u201cMaking me budget chairman for the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/one-big-beautiful-bill\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"23132\">One Big Beautiful Bill<\/a> had to be divine providence, because nobody else would have thought of doing that, including me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was not that Graham wasn\u2019t up for the challenge. By the time the bill passed in July of last year, his fingerprints were over virtually every step of the process, from the debate over one bill versus two to the controversial decision to make its tax cuts permanent.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Graham also understood that, as chairman, he\u2019d be leading some of the most vocal Republicans in his conference, several of whom were a thorn in leadership\u2019s side over the law\u2019s impact on the deficit. He also never fathomed that his membership on the committee would catapult him to such a pivotal role.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou know, I\u2019ve been on the budget committee for 10 years, and we\u2019ve done some things of consequence, but mostly not,\u201d Graham said. \u201cMostly you don\u2019t do a whole lot.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He added: \u201cLet\u2019s put it this way: Being on the budget committee wasn\u2019t the reason I woke up every morning, but I got to be chairman.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The circumstance was so unusual, in part, because Republicans had unified control of government for only the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/history.house.gov\/Institution\/Presidents-Coinciding\/Party-Government\/\">fifth time in the last 100 years<\/a>, giving them a rare window of opportunity to pass legacy-setting legislation without the help of Democrats.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/big-beautiful-bill\/\"><strong>HOW THE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL BECAME LAW: READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER\u2019S 10-PART SERIES<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And though the process involved more than a dozen committees, it was Graham\u2019s that had to navigate the intricacies of reconciliation, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ron-johnson-open-to-trump-megabill-after-vance-meeting\/\" title=\"Ron Johnson open to ... mega... after Vance ...\">filibuster-skirting budget process<\/a> that meant endless consultations with the Senate parliamentarian, and taking point on \u201cvote-a-ramas\u201d that gave Democrats repeated chances to sink the bill.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republicans <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3458684\/trump-one-big-beautiful-bill-senate-vote\/\">passed that piece of legislation<\/a> on July 1, 2025, after one final voting marathon that lasted more than 24 hours and required Graham and his Republican colleagues to beat back <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3459817\/senate-final-one-big-beautiful-bill-act-what-made-it-in\/\">over 40 amendments<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"h-keep-it-simple\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2018Keep it simple\u2019<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The formula for success, Graham said, was rather straightforward. When Democrats vote \u201cno,\u201d Republicans vote \u201cyes\u201d \u2014 a shirts and skins exercise he referred to as \u201cBudget Committee 101.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He hammered that message home from the very first meeting he had with committee Republicans in early 2025, reminding his colleagues that they were on the \u201cfront lines\u201d of the reconciliation process and that failure was not an option.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The pep talk was directed at Republicans on his committee, who he feared would let the perfect be the enemy of the good. He warned that the emphasis on deficit reduction would have to be set aside at a certain point for the broader goal of extending Trump\u2019s 2017 tax cuts.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-transform:uppercase\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3323999\/what-is-vote-a-rama-washington-marathon-loathed-senators\/#google_vignette\">What is a \u2018vote-a-rama,\u2019 the Washington marathon loathed by senators?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe have a lot of smart people with stronger opinions, and I think my biggest contribution was to try to keep it simple,\u201d Graham said. \u201cIf we fail, then people are going to look at us as the gang that couldn\u2019t shoot straight, and a group of Republicans who missed a historic opportunity to make the economy stronger and better, to avoid higher taxes, and implement new policy, good policy \u2014 without one Democratic vote.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From the outset, he encouraged his colleagues to make their mark on the bill, including by offsetting its price tag. That is, so long as it did not jeopardize final passage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHere\u2019s what I said: I\u2019ll take any good idea you have, but there\u2019s two things you got to meet,\u201d Graham told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNo. 1, it\u2019s got to be Byrd-compliant,\u201d he said, referring to the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3429548\/what-is-byrd-rule-senate-one-big-beautiful-bill-changes\/\">rules of budget reconciliation<\/a>. \u201cAnd two, it can\u2019t scare four people to death who will jump out the window and vote no.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-graham-s-listening-tour\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Graham\u2019s listening tour<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Keeping it simple was easier said than done. Graham wanted to start Trump\u2019s presidency by funding his immigration crackdown, a relatively uncontroversial lift for Republicans that would have punted the thorny question of how to pay for his tax cuts until later in the year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the House, which pressed for a single, all-encompassing bill, got the final word on that process, meaning Graham spent the spring working with leadership to wrangle the holdouts on his committee.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He had already navigated a vote-a-rama to pass a border-only reconciliation bill and would now have to do so again for a much larger package, this time with stiffer resistance. And the promise of $2 trillion in savings coming from the House was not enough to placate some of his members.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of the 11 Republicans on Graham\u2019s panel,<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3360495\/senate-conservatives-name-price-debt-ceiling-negotiations\/\"> three were outspoken fiscal conservatives<\/a>: Sens. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/rick-scott\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"1989\">Rick Scott<\/a> (R-FL), <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ron-johnson\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"2760\">Ron Johnson<\/a> (R-WI), and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mike-lee\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"684\">Mike Lee<\/a> (R-UT).<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The remainder were a mix of senior hands, including Sens. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/john-cornyn\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"965\">John Cornyn<\/a> (R-TX) and Senate Committee on Finance Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID), as well as more junior members who were comfortable toeing the party line.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Graham said it took being a good listener to overcome the opposition. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur people love to talk about this stuff,\u201d Graham said. \u201cThese people love talking about the budget. And I said, \u2018Your ships come in with me. We\u2019ll talk to anybody and everybody.\u2019 We\u2019ll go to the pope, talk to him, if we need to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Graham did not spearhead all of the meetings that eventually won over the fiscal hawks, a blitz that included<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3436998\/ron-johnson-jd-vance-meeting-open-big-beautiful-bill\/\"> sitdowns with Vice President JD Vance<\/a> and other senior administration officials.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Graham did, however, arrange a fateful meeting in the Oval Office in April 2025, inviting Republicans on the budget committee to speak to the president just before the Senate voted on a blueprint that marked the first major step in the reconciliation process.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It wasn\u2019t an audience with the pope, but putting fiscal hawks in front of the undisputed head of their party had a way of<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3368104\/trump-reassures-deficit-skittish-republicans-white-house-meeting\/\"> making them more comfortable<\/a> with the bill\u2019s deficit impact, and they voted later that week to move ahead with the process.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Graham, a close Trump ally, said that he encouraged the president to have the same listening ear ahead of the meeting.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large\">President Donald Trump, accompanied by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speaks with reporters while in flight on Air Force One, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, as they were returning to Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/07\/localimages\/AP26005064673054.jpg?w=696&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President Donald Trump, accompanied by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speaks with reporters while in flight on Air Force One, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, as they were returning to Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP Photo\/Alex Brandon)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI said, \u2018Listen, pal, you\u2019re about to get an earful here, be patient, all these people are really smart, we\u2019ll get there.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey have some good ideas \u2014 be open to them,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The fiscal hawks left with a commitment, suggested by chief of staff Susie Wiles and blared out by Trump on social media, that the White House was committed to \u201cright-sizing\u201d the budget as part of reconciliation.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-a-debate-without-drama\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2018A debate without drama\u2019<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through it all, Graham treated his job of fiscal hawk whisperer with zeal. He did not consider himself a debt crusader, making the fact that he was their de facto leader on the budget committee an awkward fit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Graham was serious about not letting their qualms derail everything he valued most about the package. He was one of the most vocal advocates for the billions the White House wanted to plow into border security and saw its Pentagon funding as an even bigger prize.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As budget chairman, he also took the dramatic step of sidestepping the parliamentarian on whether the tax cuts could be made permanent, a deficit-busting move that became the Senate\u2019s biggest contribution to the One Big Beautiful Bill.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-transform:uppercase\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3462527\/trump-full-court-press-big-beautiful-bill-vote\/\">Behind the scenes of Trump\u2019s full-court press before final \u2018big, beautiful\u2019 vote<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI don\u2019t lie awake at night wondering whether or not cutting taxes is good for the economy. I think it is, within reason,\u201d Graham said. \u201cSo, that was a debate without drama for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Graham\u2019s cajoling was not limited to the Senate. He raised eyebrows at the outset of the process when he took the unusual step of huddling with members of the fiscally conservative Freedom Caucus in the House, partially because he had a natural ally in them. At the time, they wanted to split the One Big Beautiful Bill into two, just as he did.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Graham also said he wanted to get ahead of the typical House-versus-Senate tensions he expected to develop, given that Republicans had even tighter margins in the lower chamber.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI made a decision for the Senate to be like a partner, not a problem,\u201d Graham said.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-binary-choice\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Binary choice<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fiscal hawks\u2019 insistence on deep budget cuts could, at times, test Graham\u2019s patience. The April vote on the budget blueprint was far from the end of the road for Republicans, and it took another three months to get everyone on board with the final bill.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Graham chuckled as he recalled how fixated Johnson was on charts, figures, and back-of-the-napkin math that showed the bill\u2019s impact on the debt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At one point, Graham grabbed a piece of paper and made his own chart, scribbling \u201cyes\u201d and \u201cno\u201d on it to underline the either-or choice facing Republicans in a future floor vote.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m sitting there looking at these charts. I said, \u2018That\u2019s great. Tell me what you\u2019d like to do different, we\u2019ll see if we can do it,\u2019\u201d Graham said. \u201cBut we\u2019ve eventually got to vote yes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Outside of fiscal conservatism, the group of Republicans on his committee was also simply opinionated, and Graham cryptically handed office supplies to anyone who spoke up at their first meeting as a way of teasing them about it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou know, we need to have a message, we need to tell people what we\u2019re doing, and why we\u2019re doing it,\u201d he recounted Scott as saying.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The advice was met with Graham handing him a pen and retorting, \u201cYou\u2019re in charge of messaging.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/john-kennedy\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"1442\">John Kennedy<\/a> (R-LA) urged his colleagues to have a plan for how to engage the parliamentarian \u2014 \u201cwe need great lawyers and great minds\u201d \u2014 Graham pushed a notepad in his direction.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou\u2019re in charge of getting things through the Byrd problem,\u201d Graham responded, adding a moniker to his assignment for emphasis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou\u2019re the Byrd man,\u201d Graham told Kennedy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Graham laughed as he remembered Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) was next up to speak.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd I said, \u2018Well, what do you think?\u2019 He goes, \u2018I\u2019m good, I don\u2019t have any concerns at all,\u2019 because he realized if he expressed a thought or an idea, he was in charge of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-all-hands-on-deck\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">All hands on deck<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was with that levity that Graham recalled the six months it took to convince the fiscal hawks on his committee to vote \u201cyes,\u201d describing the entire process as a \u201cwild ride\u201d but \u201cfun.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The trio was still noncommittal on the eve of the final vote and only relented after leadership unsuccessfully tried to win support for an amendment, sponsored by Scott, to further pare back Medicaid.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Graham said the Budget Committee still functioned as a \u201cteam\u201d regardless of the deficit impasse and found common cause in attempting to convince the rest of their conference to reject the dozens of Democratic amendments during the vote-a-rama.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI asked them for their help,\u201d Graham said. \u201cYou know, \u2018I can\u2019t get on the floor and sell all this by myself \u2014 or Crapo. Y\u2019all are talented. Help me,\u2019 and they did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lee, in particular, was a persuasive voice, Graham added, given his reputation among conservatives as a floor tactician and policy wonk.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen Mike Lee spoke on stuff like this, people listened,\u201d Graham said. \u201cI mean, when you look at the cast of characters on that committee, there\u2019s some talented, smart people, very opinionated people, and we did it.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-big-footing-paul\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Big-footing Paul<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was one fiscal hawk Graham could not wrangle by the end of the process: Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who does not sit on the budget committee.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paul was a \u201cno\u201d on the One Big Beautiful Bill because it included a $5 trillion hike in the federal debt limit and was unwilling to budge despite the headache it created for Republicans. His resistance is part of what forced leadership to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3460223\/how-trump-one-big-beautiful-bill-passed-senate-murkowski\/#google_vignette\">broker a complicated deal<\/a> with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), a centrist, that came together after hours of late-night bartering.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The final vote was a nail-biter and only cleared with a tiebreaker from Vance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lately, Paul has been friendlier to leadership and the White House, helping Republicans pass a second reconciliation bill, also focused on border security, through the Senate in June as chairman of its Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But he notoriously butted heads with Graham last year over the bill, releasing a budget blueprint that only provided half of the money the White House had requested for immigration enforcement. Graham and Paul, who usually were on opposite sides on fiscal matters and foreign policy, both ran for president against Trump in 2016.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Graham<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3441149\/graham-rand-paul-border-funding-trump-big-beautiful-bill\/\"> responded by outflanking Paul<\/a>, releasing a competing blueprint that doled out the full $150 billion for border wall construction, detention beds, and a surge of new immigration officers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cListen, I like Rand,\u201d Graham said of the spat. \u201cYou know, he\u2019s worried about how much money you need to secure the border. Well, quite frankly, I thought the administration\u2019s request was reasonable, was needed, and I honored it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After six vote-a-ramas as budget chairman, Graham jested over how much he enjoyed the process. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI love reconciliation. I want it to never end,\u201d Graham said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><em>Members of the <\/em><\/em>Washington Examiner\u2019s<em><em> staff who have worked on this series over the past several months are Haris Alic, Hailey Bullis, Bob Cusack, Christian Datoc, James A. Downs, Gabrielle M. Etzel, Lauren Green, Zach Halaschak, Chris Irvine, Joseph Lawler, Naomi Lim, Maydeen Merino, Callie Patteson, Mabinty Quarshie, Samantha-Jo Roth, David Sivak, and Ramsey Touchberry.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Graham unexpectedly became Senate Budget Chair before Trump\u2019s second term<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2651,"featured_media":2636413,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-1-2.png?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[35358,3803,4762,36959],"class_list":["post-2636412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-bill-signing","tag-graham","tag-legislation","tag-political-victory"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-1-2.png?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2636412","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2636412"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2636412\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2636422,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2636412\/revisions\/2636422"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2636413"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2636412"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2636412"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2636412"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}