Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said Wednesday that funeral arrangements for Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., have been complicated by scheduling involving world leaders who are interested in attending.

Graham, who died over the weekend at 71 of an aortic dissection after returning from a trip to Ukraine, was a foreign policy hawk who provided crucial legislative support to Israel and Ukraine while championing a strong commitment to NATO.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte were among the world leaders who offered their condolences after Graham's death.

Scott disclosed the details in a news conference at the National Republican Senatorial Committee headquarters, where he honored his former colleague. Scott is chair of the NRSC, which is tasked with electing Republicans to the Senate and maintaining the party's Senate majority.

Scott referred to Graham as an American patriot who served South Carolina well and "just a really dear friend of mine."

Scott also confirmed that an offer has been made for Graham to lie in state in the Capitol while organizers determine when the Washington National Cathedral would be available.

As of Wednesday afternoon, no funeral arrangements had been announced, including in South Carolina.

Scott said coordinating availability at the National Cathedral with the schedules of global leaders has made planning more difficult.

"The process of figuring out when the National Cathedral would be open at the same time that global leaders want to come, and all the other national leaders who will be there, has made it a little more difficult to get it done this week, which now it is an impossibility for any funeral arrangements this week," he said.

Scott said he has spoken to Graham's sister, Darline Graham Nordone, and she suggested that services next week are possible, "but unfortunately there's even planning going into the following week," he said.

He envisioned that after a service in Washington, "they would move very quickly to have a funeral service in South Carolina probably within a day but no more than two days."

Scott said he has been holding a prayer breakfast for residents and businesses in South Carolina and that he will honor Graham at the next event, scheduled for July 22.

"Darline said this morning that she's looking forward to being there," Scott said. "I'm sure there we will have lots of Lindsey Graham stories. I'm not sure how [we will] exactly connect all the colorful language he had with Scripture, but we will try really hard to figure that out."

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham's sister to temporarily fill the vacancy until the seat's term ends in January.

South Carolina will hold a a Republican special primary Aug. 11 to determine a candidate to replace Graham on the November ballot. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, a runoff will take place Aug. 25.

As chair of the NRSC, Scott said he did not have a particular candidate in mind for the party to get behind. But he did not rule out becoming personally involved in the race.

"There's no question, in my opinion, that South Carolina will be red, so there's not a role for the NRSC to play," he said before drawing a distinction between his role as NRSC chair and his place in the state's Republican electorate.

"As Tim Scott, the voter of South Carolina, I might indeed wade into the water at some point," he said.

Asked whether Graham's sister should be considered for the seat beyond her temporary appointment, Scott said, "Why not her?"

"She's been remarkably positive and powerful, and I'd love to have someone who has her spirit and mind and her toughness as well," he said.

Graham's sister has not given any indication that she is interested in running for her brother's seat, saying only that she planned to "honor him in this way" by finishing his current term.

South Carolina has not had an open U.S. Senate race since 2004, when Jim DeMint won the seat vacated by retiring Sen. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings, a Democrat, after more than 38 years in office.

Two years before that, Lindsey Graham succeeded Republican Sen. Strom Thurmond, who retired after nearly five decades in the chamber.