NPR News: 07-13-2026 8AM EDT

Kristen Wright· Host0:01

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Kristen Wright. The Senate will return to Capitol Hill this week without Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. Graham died unexpectedly Saturday at the age of seventy-one from what the medical examiner preliminarily calls an aortic dissection or tear caused by heart disease. Graham was a close ally of President Trump and known as a US foreign policy hawk. The senator had just gotten back from Ukraine. Connecticut Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal told Morning Edition he'd just talked to Graham this weekend about a new bill to impose tariffs and sanctions to help stop Russia's war.

Richard Blumenthal· Soundbite0:37

"These sanctions would be pivotal in getting Putin to the peace table. That was his objective, and my hope is that his death, tragic as it is, will provide an impetus to President Trump and my Republican colleagues to pass the Russia sanctions bill."

Kristen Wright· Host0:56

Graham was seeking re-election. South Carolina's Republican governor will appoint someone to serve in his seat for the rest of the year. In August, a special Republican primary election will decide on a candidate to run against Graham's challenger, Democrat Annie Andrews, in November. The winner of that race will be sworn in as senator in January. NPR's Eric McDaniel reports from South Carolina that Graham's death leaves Senate Republicans short.

Eric McDaniel1:20

President Trump is insistent that Senate Republicans pass his election security legislation, the Save America Act. That's a problem for Senate Republicans because they don't have enough votes