56-567: Charles Ernest Grassley (born September 17, 1933) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Iowa , having held the seat since 1981. Grassley was first elected to the Senate in 1980 and has been reelected seven times. As of 2024, he is the oldest senator at 91 years old, and is the longest-serving Republican in Congressional history and the sixth-longest-serving U.S. senator in history . Before becoming
112-570: A 16-year period. In a letter to the FBI, Grassley called the report "a laundry list of horrors with examples of agents who committed rape, sexual crimes against children, other sexual deviance and misconduct, attempted murder of a spouse, and narcotics violations, among many others" and added that the report's findings raised questions about whether the FBI handled agents "soon enough and rigorously enough". On June 28, 2006, Grassley proposed legislation intended to curb sex trafficking and sexual slavery in
168-436: A Grassley-commissioned report was released claiming that more than US$ 1 billion in farm subsidies were sent to deceased individuals. Grassley was called a "Taxpayer Super Hero" in 2014 by the council for Citizens Against Government Waste . He received a 100 percent rating from the group that year and has a lifetime rating of 78 percent. Grassley was ranked the 5th most bipartisan Senator of the 114th United States Congress and
224-543: A Ph.D. in political science at the University of Iowa , but did not complete the degree. During his time as a student, Grassley joined the social-professional Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. In the 1950s, Grassley farmed and worked in factories in Iowa, first as a sheet metal shearer and then as an assembly line worker. From 1967 to 1968, he taught at Charles City College . Grassley represented parts of Butler County in
280-751: A detailed explanation on the overseeing of both finances and management of the organization's affiliates. Grassley also wrote to chief executive of the United Way of the National Capital Area Norman O. Taylor in regards to allegations of affiliates misappropriating money as well as withholding information the board needed to allow its conducting of oversight. As a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, Grassley has spearheaded many probes into alleged misuse and lack of accountability of federal money. In July 2007,
336-753: A letter to Iran led by Tom Cotton to rebuke the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action . In June 2015, Grassley introduced legislation to help protect taxpayers from alleged abuses by the Internal Revenue Service . The legislation was proposed in response to recent events involving alleged inappropriate conduct by employees at the IRS but was opposed by Democrats. Since first taking office in 1981, Grassley has held public meetings in all of Iowa's 99 counties each year, even after losing honorarium payments for them in 1994. This has led to
392-492: A missed vote, but Proxmire holds the record for most consecutive roll-call votes, with 10,252. Grassley's committee assignments for the 118th Congress are as follows: Grassley has said that he considers himself pro-life and has expressed concern about the potential for abortions to be paid for with federal funds. In December 1981, he voted for a proposed constitutional amendment by Orrin Hatch that would allow both Congress and
448-479: A preference for a constitutional amendment. In January 1991, Grassley was one of only two Republican senators to vote against joining the international coalition to force Iraq out of Kuwait , the other being Mark Hatfield of Oregon . In August 1991, he became one of six Republicans on the Select Senate Committee on POW-MIA Affairs that would investigate the number of Americans still missing in
504-406: A senator who has served for 12 years is more senior than one who has served for 10 years. Because several new senators usually join at the beginning of a new Congress, seniority is determined by prior federal or state government service and, if necessary, the amount of time spent in the tiebreaking office. These tiebreakers in order are: When more than one senator had such office, its length of time
560-670: A senator, Grassley served eight terms in the Iowa House of Representatives (1959–1975) and three terms in the United States House of Representatives (1975–1981). He has served three stints as Senate Finance Committee chairman during periods of Republican Senate majority. Upon the retirement of Orrin Hatch on January 3, 2019, Grassley became the Senate's most senior Republican and its president pro tempore . Upon Patrick Leahy 's retirement in January 2023, Grassley became
616-457: A seventh term in the 2016 election. He was expected to face a strong challenge from former Democratic lieutenant governor Patty Judge , but won his seventh term with over 60% of the vote as Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump won Iowa with over 51% of the vote. He won 98 counties, losing Johnson County again. In May 2021, Grassley said that he would not decide whether to run for reelection in 2022 until between eight and 12 months before
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#1732783093442672-439: A special election. The seniority date for an appointed senator is usually the date of the appointment, although the actual term does not begin until they take the oath of office. An incoming senator who holds another office, including membership in the U.S. House of Representatives , must resign from that office before becoming a senator. A senator's seniority is primarily determined by length of continuous service; for example,
728-555: A strong stance against those who breached the Capitol in the January 6 United States Capitol attack . In September 2021, Grassley announced his intention to run for an eighth term. His announcement was viewed as advantageous to Republicans seeking to hold Grassley's seat and to retake the Senate majority in 2022. He won the general election , defeating Democratic nominee Michael Franken on November 8, 2022. In November 1981, Grassley
784-501: Is used to break the tie. For instance, Jerry Moran , John Boozman , John Hoeven , Marco Rubio , Ron Johnson , Rand Paul , Richard Blumenthal , and Mike Lee took office on January 3, 2011. The first two senators mentioned had served in the House of Representatives: Moran had served for 14 years and Boozman for nine. As a former governor, Hoeven is ranked immediately after the former House members. The rest are ranked by population as of
840-410: The 2000 census . These ranked from 36th to 43rd in seniority when the 118th United States Congress convened. If two senators are tied on all criteria, the one whose surname comes first alphabetically is considered the senior senator. This happened with Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock , both of Georgia, who were sworn in on January 20, 2021. Because they were both newly elected senators from
896-642: The Department of Justice Antitrust Division . Grassley has expressed concern about the impact of regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency on farming. He said the EPA has a "public relations problem" with "the ethanol industry, corn farmers and [himself]", and that the EPA has "screwed" farmers with 31 biofuel exemptions. On December 19, 2019, after the EPA withdrew a new Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) rule, Grassley criticized
952-564: The Iowa House of Representatives from 1959 to 1975. He then served in the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 1981. Grassley was first elected to the Senate in 1980, defeating Democratic incumbent John Culver . Grassley was reelected in 1986, defeating the Democratic nominee, attorney John P. Roehrick. He won 98 counties, losing Wapello County . Grassley was reelected in 1992, defeating Democratic State Senator Jean Hall Lloyd-Jones . He won all 99 counties. Grassley
1008-842: The most senior member of the Senate . At 91 years, 2 months and 11 days of age, Grassley is the oldest sitting United States senator . He is the president pro tempore emeritus of the United States Senate . During his four decades in the Senate, Grassley has chaired the Senate Finance Committee , the Senate Narcotics Caucus , the Senate Judiciary Committee , and the Senate Aging Committee . On September 17, 1933, Charles Ernest Grassley
1064-554: The "American people shouldn't be denied a voice" in the nomination, which was "too important to get bogged down in politics". In 2020, after a Supreme Court vacancy arose due to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg 's death, Grassley supported a prompt vote on Trump's nominee, backing the decision of "the current chairman of the Judiciary Committee and the Senate Majority Leader". Grassley was participating in
1120-673: The 7th most bipartisan Senator in the first session of the 115th Congress by the Bipartisan Index, a metric created by the Lugar Center for the Lugar Center and Georgetown's McCourt School of Public Policy to rank members of the United States Congress by their degree of bipartisanship. In February 2004, Grassley released an internal report composed by the FBI in 2000 that examined 107 instances of either serious or criminal misconduct by its agents over
1176-714: The Affordable Care Act even had the bill been modified to include all of the proposed modifications Grassley had proposed. In January 2010, Grassley was one of seven Senate Republicans to sign a letter warning the White House about their serious reservations with Director of the Transportation Security Administration nominee Erroll Southers due to conflicting accounts Southers gave the Senate about his previous tapping of databases for information about his ex-wife's boyfriend in
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#17327830934421232-828: The Agriculture Department to implement conservation measures in the 2018 Farm Bill "through a department-wide National Water Quality Initiative, which would build off the existing initiative housed at the Natural Resource Conservation Service". In October 2021, Grassley and Senator Amy Klobuchar introduced the American Innovation and Choice Online Act (S.2992) . The legislation aims to prevent Big Tech companies from engaging in anti-competitive behavior by "self-preferencing" their products. Grassley voted to confirm Jonathan Kanter as Assistant Attorney General for
1288-501: The EPA for "playing games and not helping President Trump with farmers". In 1992, Grassley authored EPACT 1992 , which created the federal wind energy tax credit. Seniority in the United States Senate United States senators are conventionally ranked by the length of their tenure in the Senate. The senator in each U.S. state with the longer time in office is known as the senior senator ;
1344-527: The Supreme Court, Grassley lauded Kavanaugh as "one of the most qualified Supreme Court nominees to come before the Senate", and said that critics of Kavanaugh should lessen their confidence in how he would vote given past surprises in voting by members of the Court. In 2016, Senate Republicans refused to consider Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court . At the time, Grassley said that
1400-464: The Supreme Court; he indicated that he would have preferred that Reagan instead nominate Judge Pasco Bowman II or Judge John Clifford Wallace . Grassley expressed distaste for "the people who are committed to changing the judiciary" and taking "the path of least resistance". In January 1989, as the Senate voted to schedule a vote within a month on a pay increase, Grassley asked how senators would decline federal program increases "come March and April if
1456-707: The United States by means of strict enforcement of tax laws, for example by requiring a W-2 form be filed for each prostitute managed by a pimp or other employer. Since 1976, Grassley has repeatedly introduced measures that increase the level of taxation on American citizens living abroad, including retroactive tax hikes. Grassley was eventually able to attach an amendment to a piece of legislation that went into effect in 2006, which increased taxes on Americans abroad by targeting housing and living incentives paid by foreign employers and held them accountable for federal taxes, even though they did not currently reside in
1512-574: The United States. Critics of the amendment felt that the move hurt Americans competing for jobs abroad by putting an unnecessary tax burden on foreign employers. Others felt that the move was only to offset the revenue deficit caused by domestic tax cuts of the Bush Administration . In March 2009, amid a scandal that involved AIG executives receiving large salary bonuses from the taxpayer-funded bailout of AIG, Grassley suggested that those AIG employees receiving large bonuses should follow
1568-601: The aftermath of the Vietnam War following renewed interest. In July 1998, President Bill Clinton listed Grassley among the members of Congress who had made it possible "for me to sign into law today the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act ". On February 12, 1999, Grassley was one of 50 senators to vote to convict and remove Bill Clinton from office . In May 2001, Grassley met with Democratic senator Max Baucus over
1624-547: The allocation of finances in tax cuts and both reported they were making progress in reaching a bipartisan deal, Grassley adding that the bill would contain all four of the main elements proposed by the Bush administration and the Senate Finance Committee would modify the components of the Bush proposal. In August 2002, Grassley sent a letter to president and chief executive of the United Way of America Brian Gallagher requesting
1680-610: The beneficiary's need for pain and symptom management, including the individual's need for hospice care; counseling the beneficiary with respect to end-of-life issues and care options, and advising the beneficiary regarding advanced care planning." In December 2009, he voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (commonly called Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act). It was later reported that Grassley had notified Obama that he would vote against
1736-526: The bill barring the Reagan administration from operating Radio Marti on that frequency or other commercial AM frequencies. In October 1983, Grassley voted against establishing a legal holiday to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. 's birthday. In 2015, an aide to Grassley said that he voted against the holiday due to an "economic decision both in the cost to the broader economy in lost productivity, and
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1792-414: The case of senators elected in a run-off election occurring after the commencement of a new term, or a special election, their seniority date will be the date they are sworn in and not the first day of that Congress. A senator may be simultaneously elected to fill a term in a special election and elected to the six-year term which begins on the upcoming January 3. Their seniority is that of someone chosen in
1848-646: The certification of the 2021 United States Electoral College vote count when Trump supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol . He was removed from the Senate chamber and taken to a secure location when rioters entered the building. In the wake of the attack, Grassley said that Trump "displayed poor leadership in his words and actions, and he must take responsibility". He said efforts to impeach Trump would risk "further disunity" and that "the country must take steps to tone down political rhetoric and mend divisions". In response, The Gazette editorial board wrote that Grassley and other Iowa Republicans "must reckon with why they did
1904-591: The citation "out of place" since Grassley was not acting at a session of the Judiciary panel he led. In May 1987, the Senate Appropriations Committee defeated an attempt by Grassley to hasten payments of corn and other feed grain subsidies ahead of the scheduled payment taking place after October 1. Grassley's measure was also designed to unravel an accounting device lawmakers had used to make it appear that they were reducing spending for
1960-714: The coinage of the term "full Grassley" to describe a presidential candidate visiting all 99 counties of Iowa before the Iowa caucuses . In 2018, Grassley suggested that no women were serving on the Senate Judiciary Committee because of the heavy workload. The following week, Grassley added that he would "welcome more women" to serve on the Committee "because women as a whole are smarter than most male senators. And they work real hard, too". In July 2018, after President Donald Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to
2016-445: The cost to the taxpayers with the federal government closed". In 2004, Grassley co-sponsored legislation giving King a posthumous award, which became law on October 25 that year. On November 1, 1984, Grassley signed a one-page citation of contempt of Congress against Attorney General William French Smith due to Smith's not turning over files on an investigation into Navy shipbuilding. Assistant Attorney General Stephen S. Trott called
2072-461: The election. Many believed that an open seat in Iowa would benefit the Democrats as they could convince many Grassley supporters to vote for their nominee. In July 2021, former U.S. Representative Abby Finkenauer announced that she would run for the seat regardless of Grassley's decision and criticized him and Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell for being "obsessed with power" and not taking
2128-406: The first thing out of the box is a pay raise". In February, he was one of six senators to testify against the 50% pay increase scheduled to take effect the next week. In October, he was one of nine senators to vote against legislation intended to outlaw flag burning and other forms of flag defacement and joined Bob Dole and Orrin Hatch , the other two Republicans to vote against the bill, in voicing
2184-461: The following: The beginning of an appointment does not necessarily coincide with the date the Senate convenes or when the new senator is sworn in. In the case of senators first elected in a general election for the upcoming Congress, their terms begin on the first day of the new Congress. For most of American history this was March 4 of odd-numbered years, but effective from 1935 the 20th Amendment moved this to January 3 of odd-numbered years. In
2240-473: The groups lobbying against Bork's nomination to the McCarthyism of the 1950s: "The big lie is standard operating procedure for some of these groups. All you have to do is repeat the same outrageous charges, and repeat them so often that people believe they are true." In November, as party leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee met on the Supreme Court nomination of Douglas H. Ginsburg , Grassley released
2296-421: The incoming fiscal year. In October 1987, during a press briefing, Grassley accused Reagan of being "asleep at the switch" and botching the handling of Robert Bork's Supreme Court nomination , adding that Bork's nomination had convinced him that the Reagan administration "has been terribly lucky for the last seven years" in other matters, including the economy and foreign policy. Later that month, Grassley likened
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2352-429: The late 1980s. In December 2010, Grassley was one of 26 senators who voted against the ratification of New START , a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russian Federation obliging both countries to have no more than 1,550 strategic warheads as well as 700 launchers deployed during the next seven years along with providing a continuation of on-site inspections that halted when START I expired
2408-469: The majority party is named president pro tempore of the Senate , the second-highest office in the Senate and the third in the line of succession to the presidency of the United States . The United States Constitution does not mandate differences in rights or power, but Senate rules give more power to senators with more seniority. Generally, senior senators will have more power, especially within their own caucuses . There are several benefits, including
2464-402: The other is the junior senator . This convention has no official standing, though seniority confers several benefits, including preference in the choice of committee assignments and physical offices. When senators have been in office for the same length of time, a number of tiebreakers, including previous offices held, are used to determine seniority. By tradition, the longest serving senator of
2520-401: The previous year. It was the first arms treaty with Russia in eight years. In April 2013, Grassley opposed a gun control amendment authored by Senators Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey , and instead proposed alternative legislation to increase prosecutions of gun violence and increase reporting of mental health data in background checks. On March 9, 2015, Grassley was one of 47 senators to sign
2576-471: The same state, with no prior government service, no other tie-breaking criteria could be used. The Senate's official records, as well as the Democratic Caucus, thus consider Ossoff, whose name comes first alphabetically and elected to a full six-year term, as the senior senator. Only relevant factors are listed below. For senators whose seniority is based on their state's respective population,
2632-559: The so-called 'Japanese example', resign immediately or commit suicide . After some criticism, he dismissed the comments as rhetoric. In May 2009, Grassley cosponsored a resolution to amend the US Constitution to prohibit flag burning . When President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party proposed a health reform bill featuring mandated health insurance, Grassley opposed the health insurance mandate, saying that it
2688-2105: The state population ranking is given as determined by the relevant United States census current at the time that they began service. Republican (49) Democratic (47) Independent (4) 1 (1789) 2 (1791) 3 (1793) 4 (1795) 5 (1797) 6 (1799) 7 (1801) 8 (1803) 9 (1805) 10 (1807) 11 (1809) 12 (1811) 13 (1813) 14 (1815) 15 (1817) 16 (1819) 17 (1821) 18 (1823) 19 (1825) 20 (1827) 21 (1829) 22 (1831) 23 (1833) 24 (1835) 25 (1837) 26 (1839) 27 (1841) 28 (1843) 29 (1845) 30 (1847) 31 (1849) 32 (1851) 33 (1853) 34 (1855) 35 (1857) 36 (1859) 37 (1861) 38 (1863) 39 (1865) 40 (1867) 41 (1869) 42 (1871) 43 (1873) 44 (1875) 45 (1877) 46 (1879) 47 (1881) 48 (1883) 49 (1885) 50 (1887) 51 (1889) 52 (1891) 53 (1893) 54 (1895) 55 (1897) 56 (1899) 57 (1901) 58 (1903) 59 (1905) 60 (1907) 61 (1909) 62 (1911) 63 (1913) 64 (1915) 65 (1917) 66 (1919) 67 (1921) 68 (1923) 69 (1925) 70 (1927) 71 (1929) 72 (1931) 73 (1933) 74 (1935) 75 (1937) 76 (1939) 77 (1941) 78 (1943) 79 (1945) 80 (1947) 81 (1949) 82 (1951) 83 (1953) 84 (1955) 85 (1957) 86 (1959) 87 (1961) 88 (1963) 89 (1965) 90 (1967) 91 (1969) 92 (1971) 93 (1973) 94 (1975) 95 (1977) 96 (1979) 97 (1981) 98 (1983) 99 (1985) 100 (1987) 101 (1989) 102 (1991) 103 (1993) 104 (1995) 105 (1997) 106 (1999) 107 (2001) 108 (2003) 109 (2005) 110 (2007) 111 (2009) 112 (2011) 113 (2013) 114 (2015) 115 (2017) 116 (2019) 117 (2021) 118 (2023) Roxanne Conlin Too Many Requests If you report this error to
2744-567: The states to ban or regulate abortion. In 2019, he co-sponsored reintroducing the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. Grassley approved of the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade , saying it empowered people through their elected representatives to make "commonsense policy decisions". In April 2019, Grassley was one of seven senators to sign a letter led by Debbie Stabenow and Joni Ernst to United States secretary of agriculture Sonny Perdue urging
2800-483: The text of a letter he intended to send to the American Bar Association suggesting the association was dragging its feet in reviewing Ginsburg's record. After Ginsburg admitted having smoked marijuana, Grassley said, "You like to think people who are appointed to the Supreme Court respect the law." Grassley joined Jesse Helms in resisting the nomination of Anthony Kennedy , Reagan's next choice for
2856-565: The wrong thing for so long". As of November 2015, Grassley had cast 12,000 votes, and as of July 2012, he had missed only 35 votes in his Senate career. In January 2016, he set a record for the most times without a missed roll-call vote, having not missed one since July 1993, when he was touring Iowa with President Bill Clinton to survey flood damage. In November 2020, this streak came to an end after over 27 years and 8,927 votes when he quarantined after being exposed to COVID-19 . Grassley broke Senator William Proxmire 's record for most time without
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#17327830934422912-630: Was a deal breaker. In response to an audience question at an August 12, 2009, meeting in Iowa, about the end-of-life counseling provisions in the House health care bill , H.R. 3200 , Grassley said people were right to fear that the government would " pull the plug on grandma ". Grassley had previously supported covering end-of-life counseling, having voted for the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, which stated: "The covered services are: evaluating
2968-544: Was born in New Hartford, Iowa . He is the son of Ruth (née Corwin) and Louis Arthur Grassley. Grassley was raised on a farm; his childhood home did not have electricity or indoor plumbing. He graduated from New Hartford Community High School in 1951. At Iowa State Teachers College (now the University of Northern Iowa), he earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1955 and a Master of Arts in political science in 1956. He pursued
3024-457: Was one of 32 senators to sign a letter to President Reagan supporting Director of the Office of Management and Budget David Stockman . In August 1982, while the Reagan administration tried persuading senators to approve legislation authorizing the creation of a radio station for broadcasting to Cuba, Grassley joined fellow Iowa senator Roger Jepsen and Edward Zorinsky in seeking an amendment to
3080-458: Was reelected in 1998, defeating former State Representative David Osterberg , who won the Democratic nomination unopposed. He won all 99 counties. Grassley was reelected in 2004, defeating former State Senator Arthur A. Small . He won all 99 counties. Grassley sought a sixth term in the 2010 election. He was challeng ed by Democrat Roxanne Conlin , a former United States attorney , and Libertarian John Heiderscheit, an attorney. Grassley
3136-483: Was unopposed in the Republican primary, although conservative Iowans such as Bill Salier and Craig Robinson said he had drifted "too far to the left". Grassley was reelected with 718,215 votes to Conlin's 371,686. He won 98 counties, losing Johnson County . Heiderscheit received 25,290 votes. Grassley became only the second Iowan to serve six terms in the Senate, the other being William B. Allison . Grassley sought
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