McConnell’s absence imperils Trump’s record defense budget

The ongoing absence of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) from Capitol Hill is throwing another wrench in President Trump’s uphill push for a massive $1.5 trillion defense spending package next year. McConnell, who has been in the hospital for more than three weeks, chairs the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee, the panel that controls Pentagon spending. His…