Johnson Takes Budget Gavel, Faces GOP Spending Clash

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) is set to chair the Senate Budget Committee after Lindsey Graham’s death, tasked with pressing deficit-reduction priorities as the GOP debates a third reconciliation bill to fund the Iran war and other priorities. A longtime fiscal hawk, Johnson says he’ll broker consensus across the conference and insists on offsets, even as intra-party divisions complicate the path forward; his leadership could be short if Grassley takes the gavel next year.