Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said Monday it would be "hard to turn down" the opportunity to become chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee after the unexpected death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., though he emphasized any move depends on Republicans holding the Senate majority after the midterm elections.

Speaking with the Washington Examiner, Lee called the position "very appealing" but noted Senate Republican Conference rules prohibit members from chairing more than one committee.

Lee currently serves as chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

"I also enjoy chairing Energy and Natural Resources, but, like I say, anybody who knows me knows it would be very hard to turn down an opportunity to chair Judiciary," Lee said.

Lee, who joined the Judiciary Committee when he entered the Senate in 2011, is now positioned to take the gavel.

Current Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is term-limited under GOP conference rules, while Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is set to retire after losing his primary.

Before his death, Graham had been expected to reclaim the chair, a post he previously held from 2019 to 2021.

A longtime constitutional conservative, Lee said any discussion of his plans for the committee is premature because "a chairmanship presupposes that Republicans still hold the majority."

Lee also remembered Graham as both a colleague and close friend, noting the pair served together for years on the Judiciary and Budget committees.

"As much as anything, he and I were just good friends," Lee said.

He said he is still struggling to process Graham's death. The longtime South Carolina senator, 71, died from a heart condition, according to a preliminary medical examination, shortly after returning from a trip to Ukraine.

"I just still can't believe he's gone," Lee said. "It just seems wrong. It seems like it couldn't possibly be true.

"He's somebody who I keep imagining might show up to his own funeral, like Tom Sawyer."

"I will miss him badly," Lee added. "I miss him already."

For the remainder of the current Congress, Lee said his priority is securing permitting reform through the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

"I've been working on this for a year, the last year and a half. This needs to happen," Lee said. "I can't think of anything going through this committee that is more important."

Earlier Monday, Lee joined President Donald Trump at the White House as Trump signed executive orders reducing the size of two national monuments in Utah. Lee later told the Deseret News he is exploring legislation to make the changes permanent.