The absence of two key Senate Republicans has complicated the Trump administration’s ambitions to pass budget appropriations and increase defense spending, particularly as the war in Iran escalates and key midterm elections approach.
On Sunday, Sen. Mitch McConnell broke his weeks-long silence about his health, announcing he was hospitalized after a fall and was also treated for pneumonia. McConnell, who has not said when he will return to the Senate floor, is the chair of the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee, which drafts legislation for Pentagon funding.
