Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is threatening to hold up Senate passage of legislation to raise the debt ceiling unless Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) agrees to a supplemental defense bill later this year.
Senate leaders have until Monday to avoid a possible default, a time crunch complicated by the chamber operating by unanimous consent. Any single senator can hold up the bill, which passed the House in a blowout vote on Wednesday. That means Schumer must negotiate a time agreement to move the legislation quickly.
A number of senators are demanding amendment votes in exchange for their cooperation, including Graham, who is livid over the below-inflation 3% increase for defense in the bill.
But the senator, one of the chamber's most vocal defense hawks, added a new demand on Thursday — a commitment from Schumer and the White House that there be a supplemental bill for Ukraine aid and other defense spending.