Committee positions 1997–⁠2025

Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee
In office January 3, 2023 – January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Lindsey Graham
Succeeded by	Jeff Merkley
Ranking Member of the Senate Narcotics Caucus
In office January 3, 2023 – January 3, 2025
Preceded by	John Cornyn
Succeeded by	Sheldon Whitehouse
Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee
In office February 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023
Preceded by	Dianne Feinstein
Succeeded by	Lindsey Graham
In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2015
Preceded by	Jeff Sessions
Succeeded by	Patrick Leahy
Chair of the Senate Finance Committee
In office January 3, 2019 – February 3, 2021
Preceded by	Orrin Hatch
Succeeded by	Ron Wyden
In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2007
Preceded by	Max Baucus
Succeeded by	Max Baucus
In office January 20, 2001 – June 6, 2001
Preceded by	Max Baucus
Succeeded by	Max Baucus
Chair of the Senate Narcotics Caucus
In office January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2019
Preceded by	Dianne Feinstein
Succeeded by	John Cornyn
Chair of the Senate Aging Committee
In office January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2001
Preceded by	William Cohen
Succeeded by	John Breaux

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Iowa's 3rd district

In office
January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1981

Preceded by

H. R. Gross

Succeeded by

Cooper Evans

Member of the
Iowa House of Representatives
from Butler County

In office
January 12, 1959 – January 3, 1975

Preceded by

Wayne Ballhagen

Succeeded by

Raymond Lageschulte

Constituency

73rd district (1959–1971)
10th district (1971–1973)
37th district (1973–1975)

Personal details

Born

Charles Ernest Grassley

September 17, 1933 (age 91)
New Hartford, Iowa, U.S.

Political party

Republican

Spouse

Barbara Speicher

(m. 1954)

Children

Relatives

Pat Grassley (grandson)

Education

University of Northern Iowa (BA, MA)
University of Iowa

Signature

Charles Ernest Grassley (born September 17, 1933) is an American politician. He has served as the president pro tempore of the United States Senate since 2025. He also held this important role from 2019 to 2021. He is the longest-serving United States senator from Iowa, having served since 1981.

Before becoming a senator, Grassley was a member of the Iowa House of Representatives from 1959 to 1975. He then served in the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 1981. He has led several important Senate committees. These include the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Chuck Grassley is the oldest person currently serving as a U.S. senator. He is also the longest-serving Republican in the history of the U.S. Congress. He has been a senator for over four decades.

Early Life and Education

Grassley was born in New Hartford, Iowa. He grew up on a farm. He went to Iowa State Teachers College. There, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1955. He also earned a Master of Arts degree in political science in 1956.

Early Career in Public Service

In the 1950s, Grassley worked on a farm. He also worked in factories in Iowa. He was a sheet metal shearer and an assembly line worker.

From 1959 to 1975, Grassley served in the Iowa House of Representatives. He represented parts of Butler County. After that, he was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 1981.

Serving in the U.S. Senate

Chuck Grassley has been a U.S. Senator for Iowa since 1981. He has been reelected many times.

Senate Elections

First Election in 1980

Grassley was first elected to the Senate in 1980. He won against the Democratic senator, John Culver.

Reelection Campaigns

Grassley was reelected in 1986, 1992, 1998, 2004, 2010, 2016, and 2022. He has won his elections by large margins. In 2010, he won with 64.5% of the vote. He carried almost every county in Iowa.

Grassley speaking at a conference in Washington, D.C.

In 2016, he won his seventh term. He received over 60% of the votes. In 2022, he ran for an eighth term. He won the general election against Michael Franken.

Time in the Senate

1980s: Early Years and Key Votes

Senator Grassley with President Ronald Reagan in 1981.

In 1981, Grassley supported President Reagan's budget director. In 1983, he voted against making Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a national holiday. He later explained this was due to economic concerns. However, in 2004, he supported an award for King.

In 1987, Grassley spoke about the nomination of Robert Bork to the Supreme Court. He said the groups against Bork were using unfair tactics. He also voted against a large pay raise for senators in 1989. Later that year, he voted against a law to outlaw flag burning. He preferred a constitutional amendment instead.

1990s: Important Legislation and Votes

Senators Grassley and Max Baucus, and Representative Clay Shaw meet with President Bill Clinton.

In 1991, Grassley was one of two Republican senators to vote against the Gulf War. This war was to force Iraq out of Kuwait. He also joined a committee to investigate Americans missing after the Vietnam War.

In 1998, President Bill Clinton praised Grassley. He helped pass a law to change the Internal Revenue Service. In 1999, Grassley voted to remove Bill Clinton from office during his impeachment trial.

2000s: Financial Oversight and Tax Changes

Grassley meets with President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney in 2001.

In 2001, Grassley worked with Senator Max Baucus on tax cuts. They aimed for a bipartisan agreement. Grassley also investigated how organizations like the United Way managed their money.

He has often looked into how federal money is used. A report he asked for in 2007 found that over $1 billion in farm subsidies went to people who had died. Groups have called him a "Taxpayer Super Hero" for his work.

Grassley has supported increasing taxes on Americans living abroad. He helped pass a law in 2006 that did this. Critics said this hurt Americans trying to get jobs overseas.

In 2009, he supported changing the U.S. Constitution to ban flag burning.

Grassley in 2009.

He opposed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). He said a part of the bill requiring health insurance was a "deal breaker."

2010s: Treaties and Taxpayer Protection

In 2010, Grassley voted against the New START treaty. This treaty aimed to reduce nuclear weapons between the U.S. and Russia.

Senator Grassley in 2016.

In 2015, he signed a letter to Iran about a nuclear deal. He also introduced a bill to protect taxpayers from issues with the Internal Revenue Service.

Grassley is known for holding public meetings in all 99 counties of Iowa every year. He has done this since 1981. This is sometimes called a "full Grassley."

In 2018, he said he would welcome more women on the Senate Judiciary Committee. He joked that women are "smarter than most male senators." He supported Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court.

2020s: Recent Events and Votes

Grassley meeting with President Joe Biden in February 2022.

Grassley was at the U.S. Capitol during the January 6 United States Capitol attack. He was moved to a safe place. After the attack, he said President Trump "displayed poor leadership." He also said efforts to impeach Trump would cause "further disunity."

Senate Voting Record

Grassley has a remarkable voting record. In January 2016, he set a record for not missing a roll-call vote since July 1993. This streak ended in November 2020 when he had to quarantine due to COVID-19. He had cast 8,927 votes without missing one.

Committee Roles

Grassley serves on several important Senate committees:

Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Committee on Finance (He is the top Republican, called Ranking Member, on a subcommittee here.)
Committee on the Budget (Ranking Member)
Committee on the Judiciary
Joint Committee on Taxation
United States Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control (Co-chair)

Political Views

Agriculture and Environment

Grassley is concerned about how environmental rules affect farming. He has criticized the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He said the EPA has "screwed" farmers with biofuel exemptions.

He helped create a federal tax credit for wind energy in 1992. He also helped expand tax incentives for alternative energy sources in 2007. He supports federal subsidies for ethanol.

Regarding the Paris Agreement on climate change, Grassley said it put the U.S. economy at a disadvantage. He also disliked that the Senate did not vote on it.

Taxes on Inherited Assets

Grassley wants to get rid of the estate tax. This is a tax on inherited money or property above a certain amount. He argues it can be hard for farmers and small business owners. However, studies show very few farmers in Iowa are affected by this tax.

Grassley during his time in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Health Care

Grassley opposes the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). He has voted to repeal it. He had discussions with the Obama administration about health care reform. However, he did not support the final bill.

In 2018, he supported a bill to protect ACA provisions for people with existing health conditions. However, some health experts said the bill might not fully prevent insurers from limiting coverage.

Military and Immigration

Grassley has raised concerns about a program that helps translators and their families from other countries. These individuals face risks because they worked with the U.S. Military.

International Relations

In 2017, Grassley supported the Israel Anti-Boycott Act. This bill would make it a crime to encourage boycotts against Israel. In 2019, he signed a letter condemning the BDS movement.

LGBT Rights

In 2015, Grassley said the Supreme Court should not have ruled on same-sex marriage. He felt it should be left to the states. However, in 2022, he stated that he supports same-sex marriage. Despite this, he voted against the Respect for Marriage Act. He cited concerns about religious freedom.

Retirement Planning

In 2019, Grassley helped pass the SECURE Act. This law encourages people to save for retirement. It also offers more options for savings programs.

Russian Interference in Elections

In 2017, Grassley said Russian interference in U.S. elections was "bothersome." However, he also noted that the U.S. has interfered in other countries' elections in the past.

In 2018, he recommended charges against Christopher Steele. Steele was involved in a report about alleged connections between Donald Trump and Russia. Grassley believed Steele might have lied to federal authorities.

Trade

In 2018, Grassley signed a letter to President Trump. The letter asked him to keep the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and update it.

Protecting Whistleblowers

Grassley wrote the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989. He works to protect and support "whistleblowers." These are people who report wrongdoing. He has received awards for this work.

In 2019, he defended a whistleblower in the Trump-Ukraine situation. He said the whistleblower followed the law and should be protected. After two whistleblowers were fired, Grassley defended the firings. He said they were not done as punishment.

Donald Trump

In May 2021, Grassley voted against creating a special group to investigate the January 6 United States Capitol attack. Later that year, he campaigned with Donald Trump.

Investigations Led by Grassley

Religious Organizations

In 2007, Grassley announced an investigation into six religious ministries. He wanted to check if they were using their funds properly. He asked them to share financial information.

Medical Research and Payments

Grassley also investigated payments from drug companies to doctors. A 2008 investigation found that some university psychiatrists had secretly received large sums of money from drug companies. These doctors had promoted the companies' drugs.

For example, a Harvard University psychiatrist did not report over $1 million he received. Another doctor at Stanford University underreported his investments in a drug company. A doctor at Emory University also failed to report a large amount of money from a drug company.

In 2008, Grassley asked the American Psychiatric Association to share how much money it received from the drug industry. The association said 28% of its budget came from the industry.

Personal Life

Chuck Grassley married Barbara Ann Speicher on August 22, 1954. They have five children. His grandson, Pat Grassley, is also a politician in Iowa.

Grassley is known for his long-running "feud" with the History channel. He often says the channel does not show enough actual history programs.

In 2023, Grassley fell and had hip surgery. He returned to the Senate using a wheelchair. In January 2024, he was briefly hospitalized for an infection.

Awards and Recognition

In 2003, his college, the University of Northern Iowa, honored him. In 2009, he received the Health Policy Hero award for his work on the FDA. In 2010, The Hill newspaper named Grassley one of the hardest-working members of Congress.

Images for kids

Grassley during his time in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Chuck Grassley facts for kids

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